Sergio Molino, Wilson Metodo Classico Brut (2019) – Piemonte

Sparkling Nebbiolo from a Barolo insider: early-picked, 40 months on the lees, and part of a 15-producer experiment.

Most people know Nebbiolo as the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco: serious, tannic, slow. Nebbione is what happens when 15 producers across Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta decide to make bubbles from it instead. This is Sergio Molino's version, and it's not a joke.

THE GRAPE
100% Nebbiolo, from the Bricco Rocca and Pelorosso vineyards in La Morra. Only the bottom of each bunch is used, picked three weeks before the Barolo harvest. The fruit is still fresh and high in acidity, which is exactly what a sparkling base needs.

THE WINE
Wilson spends a minimum of 40 months on the lees, far longer than most sparkling wines, which gives it depth and a fine, persistent mousse. This is the Brut, with a dosage of 6 g/L. It's dry, and just soft enough to take the edge off Nebbiolo's natural grip. Expect red fruit, citrus and a savoury, mineral finish rather than anything sweet or simple. A sparkling wine with real structure.

THE FOOD PAIRING
Aperitivo with salumi and aged Parmigiano, fried antipasti, raw or lightly cooked fish, tajarin with butter, roast chicken. Serve at 6–8°C.

THE WINEMAKER
Sergio Molino is one of Piedmont's most respected oenologists. He consults for wineries across Italy and France, yet keeps his own label out of the spotlight. E. Molino is named for his father Ernesto and centres on 2.5 hectares in the Bricco Rocca cru in La Morra, in the family for generations. Beside the vineyard he runs his own lab, studying bacteria and enzymes and raising new vine clones. It's an almost obsessive approach: understand and control every step between vine and bottle.