2010 Ca’Nova Ghemme DOCG

We were prepared to spend the big bucks at Terroni DTLA for a Barolo that would match the red-sauce meal of our dreams. But thanks to a last-minute intercession from sommelier Kayla Goldberg, who thrust this exquisitely precise 92-point Nebbiolo into our hands, we were swooning over forest floor aromas and silky tannins for a song.

A stop at Terroni is always on the itinerary when we come through Los Angeles. We have a standing appointment there with the tagliatelle al ragù: dense, wide ribbons of pasta nestled beneath a rich, red bolognese sauce that’s been simmering for hours, melding savory flavors of browned beef, herbs, and ripe tomato to perfection. On this particular trip, with our friend and sommelier Kayla Goldberg occupied at another table with a VIP, we decided to treat ourselves to a pricey Barolo.

Our waiter was just about to pour when Kayla rushed over. “Wait, I have something I’ve been meaning for you to try!” With tendrils of aromatic steam rising off the plate to our nose, our mouths already watering, we consented to wait for her to grab the bottle. It was the 2010 Ca‘ Nova, and it hit it out of the park.

Garnet-ruby in the glass, it was perfumed with underbrush, stony minerals, violets, tobacco, and spice. Supple and soft on the palate with notes of red cherry, wild berry, and clove, gracefully structured, after nearly 10 years of aging it had mellowed into a captivating beauty. Best of all, when our bill arrived, it was exponentially lower than we had originally been prepping for, allowing us to walk out with a full stomach, sans post-splurge guilt.

Ca‘ Nova is a tiny estate, founded in 1996 by Giada Codecasa. The acclaimed Ghemme hails from a sun-soaked, hilly, 14-acre vineyard whose soils of ancient clay moraines produce low yields of grapes for the winery’s most prestigious bottles. 

An incredible Nebbiolo value with the finesse and depth of the unforgettable 2010, this arrived from a corner of Piedmont to our table in the nick of time. We moved just as quickly to share this stellar Italian red with you.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.50%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2028
• % Nebbiolo
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork