Why it matters
The producer
The Rivetti family farms three named sites in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, growing Nebbiolo from vines that in some cases reach 75 years of age. Massimo Rivetti and his three sons run the estate today, the fourth and fifth generations of a family whose roots in this part of northwest Italy stretch back well before the winery's formal registration in 2000. The central site, Froi, has been in Rivetti ownership since 1947, and it is here that the cellar sits, surrounded by twelve hectares of old-vine Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Moscato.
The estate produces across the main Piedmontese appellations: Barolo and Barbaresco at the top of the range, Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera d'Asti in the middle tier, and Moscato d'Asti, Dolcetto d'Alba, and Langhe Arneis completing the lineup. The ancestor Pierin Valetta, who farmed the Froi parcel before the formal winery was established, is remembered on a label the family still uses today.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Neive is a hilltop commune in the Langhe, the network of ridges and valleys that runs through the provinces of Cuneo and Asti in southern Piedmont. The village sits within the Barbaresco production zone, which means Nebbiolo grown on the Froi site can be declassified down to Langhe Nebbiolo or elevated to Barbaresco DOCG depending on yield, ageing, and the specific parcel. Barolo, the longer-aged Nebbiolo appellation centred on the village of La Morra and the Alba basin to the southwest, draws on fruit from the Palazzina site in the municipality of Alba.
Neive Nebbiolo tends toward red fruit and floral perfume rather than the deeper, more tannic character of some other Barolo communes. The altitude of the Langhe ridges gives cool nights during ripening, which preserves acidity and extends the growing season. That combination of ripe fruit and firm acid line is what allows Nebbiolo from this zone to age for a decade or more without losing freshness.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The vineyard floor between the rows is mowed by hand rather than treated with herbicides. More than twenty varieties of herbs are sown as cover crops, serving two purposes: they reduce stress on the vines by competing for excess water and nutrients, and they break down to provide organic matter in the soil. For insect management the estate uses sexual confusion, a method in which pheromone dispensers are hung in the vineyard to disrupt the reproductive behaviour of harmful insects. No chemical insecticides are applied.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range is organised by appellation and grape, with Nebbiolo running from Langhe at the entry tier through Barbaresco and up to Barolo. Barbaresco is produced from Nebbiolo grown in and around Neive, where the Froi site sits; the appellation requires a minimum of two years ageing, at least nine months of which must be in oak. Barolo, made from 100 percent Nebbiolo, draws on fruit from the Palazzina site in Alba and carries the longer ageing requirement: a minimum of 38 months for standard releases, of which 18 must be in oak. Both appellations produce wines built on firm tannin and bright acidity, but the Barbaresco from Neive tends to be more approachable in its first decade, while the Barolo carries deeper concentration and a longer ageing arc.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the Barolo. It is 100 percent Nebbiolo from the Palazzina site in Alba, aged 24 months in large Slavonian oak, and it is where the estate's cellar philosophy is most legible: native yeasts, no filtration, oak used for ageing rather than flavouring. In the glass it gives dried roses and sour cherry, firm tannin, and a bright acid line that keeps the finish clean and long. It is not a simple wine, but it is not a puzzle either. The fruit is clear, the tannin is present without being aggressive, and the wine is honest about what Nebbiolo from this part of Piedmont can do.