Novello is one of the eleven communes that fall within the Barolo appellation and over the past decade has gained increasing notoriety among enthusiasts and professionals.
Being part of the Barolo production area obviously means being part of Piedmont just as Piedmont-see the simplified map opposite-is synonymous with Italy, and more specifically with northwestern Italy.
To the west and north we have the Alps, which divide Piedmont from France and Switzerland, respectively, while the Apennines, to the south, divide it from Liguria and thus from the Mediterranean Sea.
Reading the landscape and grasping its salient features-even if only on a map-is an important step that will make it easier for you to understand the insights that follow.
Looking at the shades of color in the map opposite and trying to draw an imaginary line joining the village of Novello to the Bric Piedicucche, then continuing in a northerly direction toward Barolo, we can in fact understand how the municipal territory can be divided into two opposing slopes.
One facing mainly east and southeast, which goes from the Pasinotti area to the border with the municipality of Barolo passing through Ravera and Panerole, and one facing mainly west and southwest that descends to the Tanaro River valley with a difference in elevation that exceeds 250 meters in total.
The first has steeper slopes and from a geological point of view is characterized by the simultaneous presence of sandy and laminated Sant’Agata Fossil Marls, with a clear predominance of the latter, however. The second slope, on the other hand, has gentler slopes, at least in the part between Ciocchini and Corini, with generally deeper soils of an evolved type. The prevailing geological formation, on the other hand, is the laminated Fossil St. Agatha Marls.
As was already evident in the initial simplified map, and as is even clearer in the one published next to it, the municipality of Novello actually falls only partially within the Barolo appellation.
To be precise, the eastern side of the commune – except for the Pasinotti area – falls entirely within it, while the western side falls only for the part that has the hamlets of Bergera, Ciocchini, Corini and Pezzole as geographical references.
In contrast, the entire municipal territory of Novello falls under the designation Langhe.
Based on what has just been written, the territory of the commune of Novello can at this point be divided into three different Sectors, which we will analyze in a moment through some dedicated maps and as many interactive panoramic images.
The East Sector and the North Sector fall within the Barolo area and within them the division into MGAs (Menzione Geografiche Aggiuntive) already in force for the Barolo appellation has been maintained.
On the other hand, the Western Sector, being outside of it, has been divided into eleven different unofficial areas following the characteristics of the landscape and especially local traditions.
The Nascetta grape variety is present in all three Sectors, and particularly in the Western Sector.
