On paper, Nizza – one of Piedmont's newest DOCGs – represents the best Piedmont has to offer for the Barbera grape.

Like Dogliani does for Dolcetto, the appellation believes in a grape often seen as secondary to Nebbiolo. Rooted in a rare band of limestone, there's reason why Barbera is special here. The best are riveting wines: Vietti’s La Crena being the long standard bearer. But, if we’re honest, most don't deliver on the promise of lifting Barbera to its highest level. Mired in expectation, many producers over-extract this red fruited berry and layer on heavy doses of oak, leaving wines that feel more of expensive-driven intention than of place.

With this in mind, I was cautiously optimistic when I met with Gino Della Porta this past Spring. He’s a thoughtful, creative talent and one half of Sette wines, a winery dedicated to Barbera exclusively from Nizza. We get into the work below but, in short: it was a category-changing appointment, leaving me with an understanding of the area and how Barbera is capable of behaving when planted in the best terroir and raised in the cellar with minimal inputs.

The range is wildly pure, achingly Piedmontese, and delicious. And, with the very top wines, incisive and powerful in ways only the very best bottles are. — Chris Leon 

NIZZA DOCG

It's OK if this is a new one for you :) A southeastern subzone carved out of the larger (and more quantity-driven) Barbera d'Asti, Nizza is one of Italy's newest DOCGs, established in 2014.

The appellation is the ultimate Barbera specialist – the wines must be 100% – with much tighter requirements for production and aging. Only southern-facing vineyards are included in the DOCG and (ideal for Barbera) it's also a touch warmer and drier here, the weather fueled by southern winds from Liguria.

Barbera in Sette's vineyard, planted in 1940; their chalky soils. Photos via @sette.wine

Sette stands out even further, with 80+ year old vines grounded in a unique band of limestone-based soils that runs through the estate.

Gino and Gian Luca (more on them below) saw this clearly; purchasing a perfectly situated, but heavily industrialized, 5.8 hectare vineyard and quickly rehabbing it via intensely focused farming.

G + G

Sette is the work of two lifelong friends whose natural chemistry cannot be overstated. They're also incredibly accomplished separately: Gino Della Porta, who's spent two decades exporting some of Italy's greatest names (including managing sales and marketing for two of our all-time favorites, Cappellano and Le Boncie); and Gian Luca Colombo, one of the most talented and respected names in Piedmont winemaking. (Members of our wine club might recognize Gian Luca's name as half of Altre Vie, a favorite exclusive from last year.)

Sette's Gino and Gian Luca; photo via The Source Imports

In 2017 Gino and Gian Luca purchased the Nizza site, which in their words was "deeply disfigured" from years of industrial farming. It's now unrecognizable, through two years of intense organic farming (and since 2020, biodynamic), planting dozens of diverse trees and cruciferous vegetables to "clean" the soil.

Their joint vision is clear: experimenting in Barbera's greatest terroir, adapting vintage to vintage to create expressions free from long-held expectations of the grape.

THE WINES

The range here is firmly informed by chalk and limestone. Barbera’s capacity to hold freshness and maintain a red-fruited quality in the face of extreme heat (think Grenache) is given a charge by the very unique band of soil this estate sits on.

Across both the Barbera d'Asti and Nizza bottlings G+G are using an old school Piedmontese technique of gentle infusion: submerging the cap with a wooden grid partway through maceration, which can last over a month depending on the vintage (and is generally longer for the Nizza fruit). Aging is generally 10 months, though done in a mix of concrete, wood and amphora depending on the cuvée; and the wines are unfined, unfiltered, with touches of sulfur added only after malolactic fermentation is complete.
We cannot recommend these highly enough:

2023 Sette, Grignolino Piemonte Piedmont, Italy $33
We didn't mention it above, but there's also Grignolino in Nizza, often planted at the sandy top of the hill. Sette sources from 20ish year old organic vines grown in deep sand with calcareous topsoil; destemmed and aged 9 months in amphora. An especially mineral expression of the grape.

2023 Sette, Barbera d'Asti DOCG Piedmont, Italy $33
From a mix of grapes (the oldest planted in 1940) on several south, east and west-facing slopes, defined by chalky, marl bedrock. Destemmed and macerated with the submerged cap method described above, followed by 10 months in concrete. Barbera d'Asti seen with incredible clarity.

2019 Sette, Nizza DOCG Piedmont, Italy $40
From their appellation plantings, the oldest from 1940, defined by their unique marl bedrock and calcareous topsoils. Destemmed and macerated with the submerged cap method described above, followed by 10 months in concrete. Pure, chalk-driven Nizza.

2018 Sette 'Parcella B5' Nizza DOCG, Italy $51
Their best parcel, which they vinify separately in the best vintages. This one is a peek back in time to the project's first year; aged for a total of 4 years across barrel, amphora and bottle prior to release.

2021 Sette 'Parcella B5' Nizza DOCG, Italy $56
The same prized parcel, macerated with the submerged cap method described above and no pumpovers. Aged 10 months in 20 hl Stockinger, followed by 10 months in amphora, and bottled May 2023. Captivating, silky Barbera.

Their vineyard in 2019, after two years of rehabilitation. Photo via @sette.wine

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