Renato Ratti Nebbiolo Langhe DOC Ochetti

Description

Renato Ratti Nebbiolo Langhe DOC Ochetti is a red wine made from Nebbiolo grapes sourced from the Langhe region, a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy. The Langhe encompasses many famous vineyard areas, including Barbera d’Alba, Barolo, Barbaresco and Dolcetto d’Alba.

Renato Ratti: Pioneers of Piedmont Winemaking

Renato Ratti, the founder of this famous Piedmontese winery, purchased his first vineyard in 1965 – a small plot in Barolo, located in the historic Marcenasco area. He was the first producer to craft a single-vineyard Barolo, as previously, Barolo was typically blended from grapes of various vineyard sites.

In addition to his work as a winemaker, Renato Ratti also became a leading advocate for defining the production zones and quality classifications for Barolo and other premium Piedmontese wines from the Langhe area. He was instrumental in establishing a classification system similar to those used in Burgundy and Bordeaux, which helped to codify Barolo’s reputation as one of Italy’s most prestigious wines.

In 1965, Ratti was joined by his nephew, oenologist Massimo Martinelli, and the winery expanded by acquiring several more vineyards across the Piedmont region. Renato’s son, Pietro, took over the business in 1988. A graduate of the prestigious Oenological School of Alba, Pietro has continued to expand and revitalise the family’s vineyards. He also built new cellars on Via Annunziata in 2002. Today, their vineyards are located on the hillsides of the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato regions.

Renato Ratti Nebbiolo Langhe DOC Ochetti Winemaking

• Grape Source: 100% Nebbiolo from some of the best Langhe DOC vineyards

• Harvest: Handpicked Nebbiolo grapes from late September to early October from vineyards in the Langhe region.

• Fermentation: Alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel containers with 10 days of skin contact.

• Malolactic Fermentation: vinification in stainless steel to preserve the wine’s vibrant fruit character.

The label for the Renato Ratti Nebbiolo Langhe DOC Ochetti features an Italian soldier in a blue uniform from 1795 commemorating the deeds of the Piedmontese regiments in the defence of the Langhe.

The Iconic Albeisa Bottle

This wine is bottled in an “Albeisa” bottle, an iconic bottle design named after the city of Alba and created by Renato Ratti in 1973. The Albeisa bottle has a slightly broader and more rounded shoulder compared to standard Bordeaux or Burgundy bottles and is embossed with the name “Albeisa”. Today, over than 300 wine producers in the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato regions use the Albeisa bottle where it has become an iconic symbol of Piedmont’s winemaking excellence.