Sorelle de Nicola, Langhe Nebbiolo Feyles 2016 - 75cl

Here is a quietly clever buy: a Langhe Nebbiolo from the outstanding 2016 vintage, now with the best part of a decade behind it. Sorelle de Nicola, working under the Feyles name, makes it from Nebbiolo declassified out of the family's Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards around Neive. In other words, serious fruit wearing a humble label, and given the sort of bottle age most Langhe Nebbiolo never sees. Estates rarely hold this humbler tier back for a decade, which is part of what makes the bottle worth seeking out.

2016 is rightly counted among Piedmont's great recent vintages, and this has aged into its stride. The colour is ruby fading to garnet, with the tell-tale orange tints at the rim. Expect ripe cherry and plum, a savoury, almost meaty depth, and the dried-rose and tar notes that mature Nebbiolo does so well. The tannins have softened to something supple and fine-grained, the acidity is still fresh, and the finish runs on with real length.

This is drinking beautifully now and needs no further ageing, though it will hold comfortably for a few more years yet. Decant it for half an hour to let the aromatics lift, and pour off any sediment that has formed with time in bottle. It offers a glimpse of properly mature Nebbiolo, that alluring shift from primary fruit towards tar, leather and dried flowers, without the price of an aged Barolo. It is exactly the kind of bottle that makes people ask what they are drinking, and the sort of find that rewards a little curiosity on a wine list.

How to Serve

Serve at 16-18C in a large glass. Decant for around 30 minutes to lift the mature aromatics, pouring off any sediment from bottle age.

Where to Drink It

• Trullo, Islington - considered Italian cooking for a wine with some age on it.
• Noble Rot, Lamb's Conduit Street - a room that will appreciate a mature Nebbiolo.
• Brat, Shoreditch - open-fire cooking to meet the wine's savoury, meaty depth.

Food Pairings

Braised beef cheek, truffled tajarin, or a hunk of aged hard cheese.