Piedmont's Tre Bicchieri 2024, best wines awarded by Gambero Rosso

Piedmont's Tre Bicchieri 2024

The golden age of Piedmont wine making endures. It's evident that things are going well when even occasional missteps, perhaps due to an awkward decision rather than a wrong production approach, are forgiven by the market. Piedmont's wine scene continues its journey, even if at times, it may falter slightly in its stride; what's crucial is the persistent drive to move forward and never halt.

Piedmont's Tre Bicchieri 2024, Nebbiolo gains weight. Albugnano, a (new) DOC to know

A concern we addressed a few years ago—namely, the "nebbiolization" of the Langhe—has intriguingly turned into a significant opportunity for various districts. Capitalizing on Nebbiolo's success, producers have pressed down on the accelerator, expanding the area under vines dedicated to the grape. While nebbiolo has historically graced areas like Torino and Monferrato, its significance now grows with the birth of new appellations or the evolution of existing ones. Indeed in Monferrato, specifically in much of Asti and Alessandria, numerous vintners have embraced the varietal, producing increasingly compelling wines, with some truly remarkable standouts. Recently, more adventurous aficionados have discovered a relatively new appellation laden with promise: Albugnano. Situated in a somewhat confined territory in northern Asti (bordering Collina Torinese and the province of the same name), production currently lies in the hands of a few farmers and some visionary entrepreneurs. Yet, once word spreads, we might witness a new gold rush reminiscent of the one that brought attention to Tortona, a focal point for many vintners from more renowned regional production zones. The only possible constraint might be Albugnano's limited area. Aside from this, there's an unmistakable positive momentum for regions/appellations such as Colli Tortonesi, Alta Langa, and Monferrato Casalese, especially for the grignolino grape. Naturally, the allure of the more famous appellations remains undiminished.

Piedmont's Tre Bicchieri 2024. Confirmations and novelties

This year, we're delighted to spotlight five wineries who received Tre Bicchieri for the first time: Giacomo Boveri, Fabrizia Caldera, the Penna family of Cascina Barisel, Livia Fontana, and Bruna Grimaldi. Capping off Piedmont's viticultural triumphs, one of our most coveted awards—the Red of the Year—goes to Giovanni Rosso’s extraordinary, stately Barolo Vignarionda Ester Canale Rosso ’19. Our compliments to the estate’s current owners, Davide Rosso, his mother Ester Canale, and the entire team supporting them.