Ideal Wine & Spirits Day 3: Guidobono Nebbiolo
This is a winery that consistently punches above its weight; the 2022 Guidobono Nebbiolo d’Alba “Loreto”. This is one of those wineries that never seems to miss. Vintage after vintage, it shows up with polish, depth, and unmistakable Piedmont character, all at a price that feels like a quiet victory. It’s become a staple on our shelves for a reason: few wines deliver this level of complexity and balance with such reliability. Thank you again to our friends at Ideal. Swashbuckle away.
Ideal’s close relationship with the estate ensures we’re getting the wine exactly as intended; pure, expressive, and true to its roots. Guidobono, the project of the Faccenda family, is driven by a deep obsession with terroir. Their holdings stretch across some of Piedmont’s most compelling sites, including prized vineyards in Castellinaldo (Roero) and Monforte (Barolo), and their ability to outperform expectations year after year is no accident. The Loreto is entirely in Roero, which was an historic nebbiolo growing region that had recently been overshadowed by the Langhe. Roero is now a newly up-and-coming nebbiolo region that we have been supporting and banging the drum for.
The “Loreto” comes from vineyards in Canale, where clay-limestone soils with sandy elements give Nebbiolo both structure and finesse. Farming here is meticulous: yields are kept low—no more than 2 kg per vine—through careful green harvesting, and the grapes are picked by hand in multiple passes to ensure optimal ripeness. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel to preserve purity, followed by 12–15 months in tonneaux where the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and gains subtle texture and complexity before resting again in steel.
In the glass, this is classic Nebbiolo with a refined edge. Aromas are layered and elegant—redcurrant, bilberry, licorice, and spice—while the palate is silky and warm, carried by sweet, well-integrated tannins. There’s a quiet power here, with flavors that deepen and expand over time, moving from fresh fruit into more mature notes touched with vanilla.
