Le Pianelle

History

Le Pianelle is a small estate operating in Bramaterra, a DOC tucked into the volcanic foothills of Vercelli province in Alto Piemonte, a zone that spent decades in the shadow of Barolo and Barbaresco before a broader rediscovery of northern Piedmontese Nebbiolo brought renewed interest. The producer works with both the Bramaterra and Coste della Sesia designations, the latter a broader catchment appellation that covers much of the same hill country. Precise founding dates and ownership lineage are not well documented in widely available sources, and specific family history is difficult to verify without risk of invention. What the wines themselves suggest is a producer operating at modest scale with a consistent focus on the local expression of Nebbiolo, supplemented by the rosato bottling sold under the Al Posto dei Fiori name across multiple vintages.

Vineyards

Bramaterra sits on porphyritic and volcanic soils, geologically distinct from the limestone and clay of the Langhe and closer in character to the similarly structured soils of Gattinara and Lessona nearby. These mineral-rich, well-drained substrates tend to produce Nebbiolo of notable finesse and relatively light color compared to southern Piedmontese benchmarks. The specific vineyard holdings of Le Pianelle, including hectares, altitude, and individual plot exposures, are not publicly documented in sufficient detail to state with confidence here. The Robino bottling, named for what appears to be a specific site or parcel, implies some degree of vineyard selection within the Bramaterra DOC. Farming practices are not confirmed as certified organic or biodynamic.

Winemaking

The wine range spans a Bramaterra red (Robino), a Coste della Sesia red (Al Forte), and a rosato (Al Posto dei Fiori) produced across multiple vintages, suggesting the rosato is a consistent part of the portfolio rather than an incidental release. The presence of both a DOC Bramaterra and a broader Coste della Sesia red implies some differentiation by fruit source or vinification approach, though the precise reasoning is not documented publicly. Cellar details, including vessel type, oak regime, and aging duration, are not available for reliable citation. The Bramaterra DOC itself requires a minimum aging period that typically shapes how producers in the zone approach their reds, but specific choices at Le Pianelle remain unconfirmed.