Colombera & Garella

300 million years ago, a volcano created the raw material for seven tiny but geographically complex appellations collectively known as Alto Piemonte, an area about two hours northeast of Barolo and Barbaresco, literally at the ‘foot’ of the Alps. After years of abandon, this once great bastion of Italian wines is now being revitalized by a few key producers. This is an area to explore, for the glory that’s Nebbiolo, and also the unique volcanic soils, which makes more finely etched, and lower alcohol, wines that neighboring Barolo and Barolo. Colombera & Garella’s winery and vineyards in the Bramaterra and Lessona appellations.

Cristiano Garella, native alto piemonte wünderkind, is one of the master-keys of the area. He’s helping wineries here appreciate and reinvest in the vineyards and cantine.  Colombera & Garella, as the name suggests, is his most intimate contribution among the many wineries he collaborates with. The Colombera part is Giacomo Colombera, Cristiano’s long-time friend, and Carlo Colombera (Giacomo’s father), who’s been growing grapes in the area since the early 1990s.

At 350-400 meters, Bramaterra and Lessona’s soils are distinctly acidic, quite different from Barolo and Barbaresco’s basic soils. These acidic soils produce wine with lower alcohol than you find nowadays in the Langhe; there’s also a tell tale salty-minerality in both Lessona and Bramaterra.

Bramaterra’s volcanic soil is composed of crumbly red-brown rocks made from porphyritic sand crystals. The resulting wines have a chiseled fruit, and a deep salty/savoury minerality, and classic ferrous notes. There’s something rough hewn about the minerailty in these wines, but the tannis are noble Nebbiolo, especially in Cristiano’s hands.

Lessona still has acidic soil as well, but here you see a marine sand that’s yellow and red-ochre in color. Lessona’s is often a paler red, with a more delicate fruit.

Colombera & Garella continue to make stand our wines, and there’s rebuilding of their cellar in 2019 has just made the wines that much more precise and scintillating. If you’re interested in Alto Piemonte, or a more elegant Nebbiolo than the Langhe offers, this is a property to put on your check list.

* C&G’s soil shown in pictures above, from left to right: Bramaterra’s volcanic soil, composed of crumbly red-brown rocks made from porphyritic sand crystals; Lessona’s red-ochre marine sand.