The Nas Cetta, native wine of Novello – Langhe

The most autochthonous of autochthonous wines, this is how the autochthonous grape typical of the municipality of Novello, in the heart of the Langhe del Barolo, has been defined. Nas-Cëtta or nascetta or, again, anascetta is a native white wine, typical of the Langhe, which is produced in a decidedly restricted area : in the territory of the municipality of Novello only.

It is perhaps the most autochthonous or territorial wine ever given that it is produced from a vine grown since ancient times in a single municipality.

Gambero Rosso writes: “It was certainly not easy for a small white vine to resist in a territory dominated by Nebbiolo and its most noble and prestigious expressions: Barolo and Barbaresco. Mentioned in ampelographic sources since 1800, Nascetta is described by Rovasenda as a “very delicate grape and exquisite wine” and Lorenzo Fantini speaks of it as a wine “equal in finesse to Moscato”. According to the most recent ampelographic studies, Nascetta is an ancient native vine of the Langhe, which has some genetic similarities with the Gros Blanc of the Val di Susa. […] In 2002, Nascetta became part of the Langhe Doc and in 2010 the Langhe “Nas-cëtta” DOC of the Municipality of Novello was recognized, obtained from 100% Nascetta vine from the Municipality of Novello and with a yield of 90 qt/Ha.”

By its nature, the Nascetta vine is inconstant and very difficult to cultivate, so much so that it can give very abundant or, on the contrary, extremely poor productions. Precisely for this reason, during the 20th century growers gave more space to more productive vines (especially Nebbiolo da Barolo), excluding Nas cëtta to the point of almost causing its extinction. Its cultivation was not completely abandoned, but only for “sentimental” reasons, more out of affection for the vine than for commercial and profitable reasons.

Today this extraordinary wine is enjoying considerable success, as it deserves, and is increasingly appreciated in the wine lists of the best restaurants in the area and beyond.

Marenco enhances its Nas-cëtta by vinifying it in purity. A flagship for our company that we wanted to call “She… La Nas-cëtta“.

Like other native vines, Nas-cëtta has peculiarities that make it unique and recognizable:

– the berries are white;
– the leaves are medium-small in size, with a pentagonal or circular shape, five-lobed or heptalobed;
– the bunch is medium-large in size, cylindrical in shape with one or two wings;
– the berries are medium-sized, with a spheroidal or ellipsoidal shape, moderately pruinose and yellow or golden yellow in color which tends to become amber with exposure to the sun.
The best period for their maturation and subsequent harvesting is mid-September.

The land on which the Nas Cetta vines are grown is characterized by the calcareous-clayey marl typical of the Langhe del Barolo. The resulting wine is therefore rich in acidity, complexity and minerality. Its appearance is straw yellow, bright and brilliant, with a strong and very personal character; on the nose it offers hints of white flowers and fruity and citrus aromas; its flavor is fresh, enveloping, sapid and with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Taking into account its acidity and its consistent structure, the wine has excellent longevity, which allows long refinements in the bottle and interesting evolutions; in fact, it is suitable for vinification both in steel and wood and, in both cases, its aroma remains intact and persistent.

It is ideal drunk cold, between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius and can be combined, precisely because of its structure and persistence, with cheeses, even aged ones, and with typical Piedmontese appetizers.