Ninety miles northeast of Alba, hidden at the base of the Italian Alps, is the little-known winegrowing area of Alto Piemonte. The region, which acquired its name more for its high altitude than for its relative location to the Langhe (the name literally translates to ‘high Piedmont’), is an Alpine paradise set amid forest-clad hills on the banks of the Sesia River. The Alto Piemonte, it turns out, is a wine-lovers’ dream where quality and affordability are not mutually exclusive.
Today we are focusing on two distinctive terroirs in Alto Piedmont, the little-known zone of Bramaterra and the tiny appellation of Lessona
Bramaterra, distinguished by its red volcanic soil, has a characteristic wildness and freshness with accompanying tannins that provide structure for long aging. Its neighbor, Lessona, has a markedly different profile, one of greater elegance and less brooding tannins, a difference explained by the transition to a more sandy soil composition in the Lessona district.
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