Loazzolo is a DOC (established in 1992) for sweet white wines from southern Asti, in the Piedmont wine region of north-western Italy. The wines are based on Moscato Bianco, and are often very fine examples of the golden, complex nectars for which this variety is known.
All Loazzolo wines come from vineyards which overlook the Bormida river, 15 miles (25km) due south of Asti, and about half that distance due west of Acqui Terme (of Dolcetto d'Acqui and Brachetto d'Acqui fame). This is prime Piedmont vineyard territory, and some of the finest in all Italy. The DOC map in this area is a complex maze of criss-crossing and parallel lines denoting some of the most famous names in Italian wine, many of them ending in Alba or Asti. Loazzolo lies at the southern edge of the Moscato d'Asti catchment area.
The terroir here is largely affected by the local geology and topography, and this is cited in the legal documents which control use of the Loazzolo name. The disciplinare di produzione (the technical document outlining the DOC's production conditions) specifies that Loazzolo wines come only from vineyards on sunny, south-facing slopes with marly limestone soil of the Langhian age in the Miocene epoch. This sounds very specific, but as might be inferred from the term Langhian, the specified soil type is not uncommon here (Langhian is derived from Langhe, the geographical area just south of Alba).
A typical Loazzolo wine displays floral, tropical, candied fruit aromas underpinned with the subtly musky notes of Muscat grapes. It is intensely sweet and noticeably viscous, and differs from its Moscato d'Asti counterparts in that it is a still wine. The grapes undergo gradual drying (appassamiento), technically making them passito wines, although this is implied in the wine's style and not officially stated on the front label. Often Loazzolo grapes have already started drying out at the point of harvest, thanks to the presence of botrytis. This 'noble rot' is encouraged by the autumn mists for which Langhe is famous (the nebbia which gave Nebbiolo its name), particularly here between the Tanaro and Bormida rivers.
The Loazzolo harvest is not permitted to start before 20 September in any year, and grapes selectively harvested after this time are permitted to bear the mention Vendemmia Tardiva (late harvest). A final, important requirement for Loazzolo wine is that it is not released for two years after vintage (the timer actually begins from the January after harvest, making this period even longer). Six months of this time must be spent in wooden barrels, which must be no larger than 250L.
