Colombera & Garella Bramaterra DOC 2020

A truly splendid example of how magnificent the wines from northern Piedmont can be. The grapes come from the vineyards around the village of Masserano, and in classic style, it's nebbiolo (80%) leading the way, supported by croatina and vespolina, which add structure and spice.

The wine has a complex and deep aroma with notes of dried roses, crushed cherries, granite, and herbs. On the palate, it is firm and focused with high acidity, fine tannins, and a pronounced minerality that reflects the unique terroir. It evolves beautifully in the glass and has an almost dramatic length.

A wine with enormous aging potential—it can easily develop for more than 30 years—but it can also be enjoyed now with a good decanter and the right meal. Ideal for braised meat and mature cheeses.

The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 350 meters with southeast and southwest exposure, providing good ripeness without losing freshness. The soil is characterized by porphyritic sand of volcanic origin—reddish-brown in color and with low pH—which gives the wine its distinctive edge and minerality. Traditional Guyot training is used, and the yield is kept low at just 35 quintals per hectare to ensure concentration.

The grapes are carefully selected in the vineyard and traditionally vinified without temperature control. The fermentation is supported by délestage, a technique where the fermenting must is tapped and poured back over the skins to allow gentle extraction, aeration, and clarification. This contributes to the wine's structure and finesse.

The wine is aged for three years, of which two years are spent in large 6000-liter barrels, and finally a couple of months in cement tanks, which round off the wine without imparting flavor.