Bramaterra DOC

Bramaterra is a red wine appellation located in “Piedmont Nord” (Northern Piedmont), specifically in the cooler northeastern sector of the region. It is geographically situated on a narrow band of hills between the outlets of the Dora Baltea and Sesia rivers.

The Terroir The geology of Bramaterra is distinct and complex. The vineyards sit on a rocky substratum covered by fluvio-glacial deposits. The soil composition includes ultra-basic green rocks, Permian porphyries (volcanic rock), and Mesozoic sedimentary formations. This terroir is part of a system of moraine beds that are crucial to the viticulture of the region.

Grape Varieties While Nebbiolo is the backbone of the appellation, Bramaterra is traditionally a blend that incorporates several indigenous varieties native to this specific area:

• Croatina: Often blended into Bramaterra.
• Vespolina and Uva Rara: Commonly found in the blends of this sector.
• Bonarda Piemontese: A rare variety (distinct from the Croatina grape often called “Bonarda” in Oltrepò Pavese) that is used in small percentages in this appellation.

The Critical Take In the era of climate change, Bramaterra, along with its neighbors Gattinara, Boca, Lessona, and Ghemme, is becoming increasingly sought after. These wines from the cooler northeast offer a distinct expression of Nebbiolo compared to the warmer Langhe zone. While most Bramaterra wines are blends of the varieties listed above, outstanding pure Nebbiolo versions also exist.

The Scale of It Bramaterra is very small even by Alto Piemonte standards — a few dozen hectares across seven communes on the Biellese side of the Sesia. Like its neighbours it is a fraction of what it once was: the northern hills carried tens of thousands of hectares before phylloxera, and the collapse that followed was completed by the textile industry, which offered wages no hillside grower could match. The appellation was created in 1979, close to the low point, and has been rebuilt since by a handful of estates.

The Style The volcanic porphyry and the blend together give a wine noticeably different from Gattinara or Lessona. It is paler and lighter-framed than Gattinara, less silken than Lessona, and more overtly spicy than either, because the permitted Vespolina and Croatina fractions are larger here. Iron and dried rose sit over sour cherry; the tannins are fine but insistent, and acidity is high. It repays eight to fifteen years and is frequently sold long before it is ready.

At the Table The Alto Piemonte table: panissa, braised beef, game, salam d’la duja, and the mountain cheeses of the Biellese. Decant a young bottle and serve at 17–18°C.

Benchmark Producers Antoniotti Odilio, Colombera & Garella, Noah, Tenute Sella.