The year is 2001; after a professional lifetime in front of a computer screen at some of Italy’s most prominent “.com”-era organizations, Bruno Giacometto decided it was a good point in his life to spend a little more of his time… outside. With his aging parents beginning to weary amidst the day-to-day operations of the winery they founded in the mid-1960s, Bruno returned to his birthplace in Piemonte’s rural and remote northwest to take the reins of his family’s estate, stewarding it forward into the 21st century. Located in the village of Caluso, the heart of a region celebrated for its fresh and aromatic expressions of the Erbaluce grape (of which Giacometto produces a number of different, very delicious bottlings), Bruno’s production also extends to a few of Piemonte’s classic red varieties, with Nebbiolo dominating the bulk of the red grape side of his operation.
Though Caluso is designated as a DOCG specifically for the Erbaluce grape, Nebbiolo produced in this region carries the broader Canavese DOC appellation – not to say that makes these wines any less serious than their white counterparts, quite the contrary! The sub-alpine elevations and highly acidic soils surrounding Caluso render more chiseled and high-toned expressions of Nebbiolo comparatively to the Langhe in the south. Add to this fact that Bruno is a producer that feels his Nebbiolo should be released not in its brawny, high-strung youth but when the wine feels ready to go, and ready to go the 2016 Canavese Nebbiolo (his current release) very much is. Sweet aromas of red rose and raspberry lead, balanced by cooler, savory tones of bay leaf and eucalyptus. The wine's in-built age adds yet another dimension, with more developed tones of porcini mushroom and espresso carried across a lithe spine of tannin and acid. Like a good stew, this is also a wine that comes together with time, so open the morning before consuming and feel free to explore her evolution over two or three days – if it lasts that long!