2017 Diego Conterno Baluma Nebbiolo d'Alba Piedmont 750 ml

The best sommeliers will search far and wide for wines that deliver the most bang for their buck—and when they find them, they won’t say a word. One of the most hushed favorites amongst top somms across the globe is Diego Conterno’s violet- and herb-laced Baluma Nebbiolo, otherwise known as the “baby Barolo.” 

Quietly renowned for its aromatic nose of rose petal, wild strawberry, and sandalwood, its nuanced yet vibrant palate, framed by velvety tannins, and adorned with lingering hints of sour cherry, earth, and spice, Conterno’s Baluma Nebbiolo delivers all the finery of Piedmont's greatest reds without the price. This is a wine you’ll want to stack by the case—even after upping our own orders every vintage, we’re always wishing we had more. 

In 1982, Diego Conterno began making wine with his family under the turquoise skies of Monforte d’Alba, and started producing authentic, terroir-driven Barolos at his own operation in 2000. Since then, his small, family-run winery has prized quality over everything else, even price. Diego’s wines are highly pedigreed—“nuanced, classically inspired wines of real character,” as Antonio Galloni of Vinous put it—and could certainly fetch higher asking prices than they do. As one happy Wine Access Member said, this red is “seriously overdelivering for the price.”

Luckily for us, Conterno’s commitment to delivering quality at an every-night price isn’t waning—a rarity in the Piedmontese hillsides that yield some of the world’s most collectible reds, which routinely fetch four-digit prices at auction. The ‘17 Baluma offers the same world-class flavor, complexity, and ageability at a fraction of the cost. No, it’s not too good to be true. 

For this 2017 Diego Conterno Nebbiolo d’Alba Baluma, organic grapes grown on the southwestern facing Monguglielmo hill are given a brief five-day fermentation, then aged for six months in 500-liter barrels, a fairly quick process that contributes a striking freshness to the wine. The final result shows another vintage of ripe and vibrant but serious Nebbiolo, showing red berry fruit with classic Piedmontese crushed-violet florals and wild herb notes, all balanced by elongated tannins and a juicy finish. 

For as long as our limited allocation lasts, Barolo and Barbaresco lovers should not hold back, nor should Pinot Noir enthusiasts. This elegant and effusive red is poised to deliver on every level, at an entry-level price.