Visiting Italy`s tiny, subalpine DOC of Bramaterra feels like a visit to yesteryear. The hamlet of Casa del Bosco doesn`t appear to have changed in decades; the locals still tell you stories about fascists and partisans hiding in the woods. Once upon a time, the Alto Piemonte region was the engine of North Italian wine production. In the early nineteenth century, many of Italy`s most lauded Nebbiolo bottlings came from here, rather than Barolo or Barbaresco. But phylloxera devastated the vineyards, then Depression, war and industrialisation drew people away from the land. Many former great vineyards were swallowed up by forest.

Father and son team Odilio and Mattia Antoniotti work here, just as their family have done since the 1860s, proving what Bramaterra is still capable of. Their prime holding is the wonderful Martinazzi cru; it is surrounded by forest, and they are constantly fending off the wild boar that want to eat their grapes.

This is very much not the Nebbiolo of Barolo. The influence of a cooler, more mountainous terroir is clear, as well as the minority presence of other grape varieties. In a nod to local tradition, the DOC rules state that Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna) can make up no more than 80% of Bramaterra, with the balance being other local varieties. Odilio and Mattia top up their Nebbiolo with small amounts of Croatina, Vespolina and Uva Rara. Croatina brings a little extra flesh, Vespolina brings perfume, and Uva Rara helps soften the northern Nebbiolo tannins. (NT 25/02/25)