I love an underdog. Perhaps it’s my Aussie battler roots, but there is something deeply satisfying about a wine not expected to live up to a lofty predecessor being given the chance to shine.
Piemonte’s Nebbiolo 2022 bottlings could be said to be just this - a vintage quietly gestating in the shadow of the much-lauded 2021s, now firmly placed on pedestals by critics and consumers alike.
Attending Nebbiolo Prima in Alba - an event marking its 30th edition - it was a privilege to witness the subtle rewards of patience, attention, and persistence in a challenging Barolo vintage, alongside the release of new vintages from Barbaresco and Roero.
Nebbiolo Prima is a treat of all treats for fans of Nebbiolo and wines of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero.
Three decades on, Nebbiolo Prima remains a cornerstone of the Piemonte calendar: a rigorous blind tasting organised by the Albeisa Consortium and accessible only to selected international press.
Structured by denomination, commune and vineyard designation — alongside select decennial reference vintages — the 2025 edition brought together just under 300 wines from 145 producers, spanning Barolo DOCG 2022, Barbaresco DOCG 2023 and Riserva 2021, Roero DOCG 2023 and Roero Riserva DOCG 2022.
The breadth of the tasting is humbling, and a firm reminder that Piemonte’s strength lies not only in its celebrated MGAs, but in the ongoing dialogue between terroir, vintage and producer intent — a dialogue that, in 2022, proved particularly revealing.
Vintage context: Why these wines behave the way they do
Before diving into individual appellations, it is worth grounding the tasting in vintage context. At Nebbiolo Prima, the ability to taste across years is invaluable - not only for understanding how a wine tastes today, but where it is likely headed.
2020: Classical balance, quiet authority
The 2020 growing season unfolded relative calmly. A wetter late spring and moderate summer temperatures allowed Nebbiolo to ripen steadily rather than rapidly. Acidity was preserved, tannins ripened evenly and sugars accumulated without excess. Today, 2020 stands as a benchmark for balance — a useful counterpoint when assessing the more architectural, occasionally stern wines of 2022.
2021: Structure, precision, cellar confidence
Low yields, small berries and excellent phenolic maturity define 2021. Winter rainfall proved critical in an otherwise dry year, while cooler September nights locked in freshness. The resulting wines - particularly Barbaresco Riserva 2021- combine aromatic clarity with confident structure and long ageing potential. It is little wonder this vintage has earned its reputation.
Isobel Salaman shares her personal highlights from Nebbiolo Prima
2022: Adaptation under pressure
Warm, dry and early, 2022 demanded real-time decision-making. Smaller berries tipped the balance toward tannin and phenolics, and success hinged on canopy management, harvest timing and restraint in extraction. Where acidity was preserved during vinification, the wines showed finesse and quiet beauty; where it was not, tannins occasionally ran ahead of freshness.
2023: Recovery, freshness, elegance
After the stress of 2022, 2023 offered relief. A challenging spring gave way to a settled summer and long ripening period, delivering wines with lift, perfume and balance. Roero 2023 and Barbaresco 2023 aligned particularly well with the vintage’s strengths.
Roero DOCG 2023 & Riserva 2022: Freshness, focus and early enjoyment
I adore Roero, and this vintage certainly confirms its golden-ticket status for immediate accessibility and charm, particularly in cooler years. The 2023 and Riserva 2022 expressions showed freshness, mineral lift and delicate aromatics — wines that can anchor a by-the-glass program or offer early-list Nebbiolo for curious drinkers.
Highlights included:
• Az. Agr. Cordero Gabriele, Roero 2023: Bright red cherry and cranberry fruit, a flicker of orange zest and a chalky, mineral finish. Light on its feet, joyful and immediately engaging.
• Beiva, Roero “Sprunet” 2023: Cold bonfire smoke, savoury redcurrant and a subtle whisky-like note on the finish. Polished, intriguing and quietly distinctive.
• Cascina Chicco, Roero Riserva Valmaggiore 2022: Boysenberry layered with blue flowers, orange peel and a dusty elegance. Poised and ethereal, offering instant pleasure without sacrificing composure.
Roero’s consistency stood out sharply against the broader tasting. Acidity rarely felt compromised, tannins were well managed, and charm came without simplicity — a reminder that this remains one of the most reliable entry points for serious Nebbiolo.
Nebbiolo Prima attracts top wine critics and writers from all over the world
Barbaresco 2023 & Riserva 2021: Precision with poise
Barbaresco continues to excel at delivering elegant Nebbiolo. The 2023 wines were luminous and perfumed, offering early appeal without structural compromise, while Riserva 2021 reflected a year of outstanding phenolic maturity, yielding wines of depth and ageing confidence.
Highlights included:
• Az. Agr. Mustela, Barbaresco Meruzzano 2021 “Ultimo degli Onesti”: Mulberry and currants lead, followed by savoury herbs, sweet tobacco and gentle spice. Serious and composed - gravitas without showiness.
• Nada Giuseppe, Barbaresco Casmar Riserva 2021: Blueberry and wild strawberry framed by dried violet, liquorice and fine ginger spice. Aromatically complex and structurally assured.
• Albino Rocca, Barbaresco Angelo Riserva 2021: Sweet cherry, balsam, white flowers and dusty spices are carried by finely integrated tannins. A beautifully judged Riserva that will unfurl gracefully over time.
Tasting alongside older Barbaresco Riservas reinforced how the appellation’s aromatic lift, supple structure and earlier harmony often resolve sooner than Barolo when balance is well judged.
Barolo 2022: Subtlety, structure and the need for discernment
Barolo 2022 is not a vintage of spectacle. At its best, it offers focus, precision and fine tannin architecture, yet it demands careful attention from the taster. The tasting revealed significant inconsistency: bottle variation was noticeable, and in several cases tannin intensity outpaced acidity, leaving wines drying or unresolved in their youth. This was particularly evident in La Morra, where taut tannins sometimes lacked the freshness required to carry them — these wines will almost certainly settle with time, but currently sit tight and angular.
Beyond La Morra, Barolo’s communes, warmer pockets of Monforte d’Alba and select sites in Castiglione Falletto showed similar patterns. These wines are currently austere, demanding time, savvy selection, and a buyer willing to resist instant gratification.
Where producers adapted - through earlier picking, attentive canopy work and restrained extraction - the results were quietly beautiful, with cru typicity remaining clear.
Serralunga d’Alba, in particular, delivered greater overall coherence, its iron-rich soils and natural acidity lending balance even in this demanding year.
Highlights included:
• Vietti, Barolo Monvigliero 2022: Rose petal, sour cherry, leather and potting soil. Elegant and fragrant, capturing Verduno’s finesse with long-term promise.
• G.D. Vajra, Barolo Baudana 2022: Red plum and tangy cherry layered with violet, cocoa, sweet liquorice and subtle earth. Precisely judged and beautifully proportioned - a Barolo of calm confidence.
• Az. Agr. Sordo Giovanni, Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2022: Exotic aromatics of redcurrant, blood orange, guava and cooking chocolate. Excellent acidity underpins large, rounded tannins - a serious Rocche built to evolve.
• Az. Agr. Eugenio Bocchino, Barolo del Comune di Barolo 2022: Crunchy crab apple, fig resin, peony and pine, layered with rose and boysenberry. Expressive and open, with lively acidity, rounded tannins and immediate appeal.
• Az. Agr. Renato Buganza, Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2022: Ethereal and charming, with cherry jam, blossom, white fig and orange peel. Vibrant acidity and forward tannins suggest a rewarding future.
• Az. Agr. Alario Claudio, Barolo Cerretta, Serralunga d’Alba 2022: Balsamic lift, crushed blueberry, currant and fresh leather. Brilliant acidity supports intense yet rounded tannins — powerful, compelling and built for time.
Among the line-up, there were some truly beautiful wines, shaped as much by producer intent as by site itself — a reminder that, for Barolo DOCG 2022, thoughtful hands mattered as much as terroir.
Buyer takeaways
There is much for wine buyers and importers to take from the wine at Nebbiolo Prima 2025
Nebbiolo Prima 2025 underscored the importance of selection. In a demanding year, Nebbiolo offered no shortcuts, but where growers adapted thoughtfully, the results were rather compelling.
The most successful wines were not accidents - they reflected careful vineyard decisions and restraint in the cellar.
For buyers, Barolo 2022 rewards cru awareness, producer trust, and cellar patience. Roero and Barbaresco, by contrast, offer immediacy without compromise and represent confident, high-value placements on today’s lists.
The gems of this vintage are few, but they are absolutely worth seeking out and savouring.
* Nebbiolo Prima is organised by Albeisa that organises specialists tastings for producers in Langhe in Italy.
* Isobel Salamon is founder of the Slonk wine consultancy.
