Lessona

🇮🇹 Italy

DOC Rare find

DOC 1976 - Alto Piemonte Nebbiolo, marine-origin sandy soils, Sella family 1671, once 200ha now ~23ha renaissance

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Region profile

History

Wine produced in Lessona commune since 12th century. Late 1800s Alto Piemonte had 45,000ha vineyards. Early 1900s vine diseases and 1905 catastrophic hailstorm destroyed vineyards; workers fled to Biella textile mills. Lessona nearly extinct by mid-1990s (only 6.5ha). Sella family founded estate 1671, remained sole continuous producer through decline. DOC established 1976. Renaissance underway with new producers: Proprietà Sperino (Luca De Marchi, son of Isole e Olena founder), Pietro Cassina, La Badina, Massimo Clerico. Now ~23ha planted.

Climate
Continental Alto Piemonte; Province of Biella 70km north of Turin; 300m altitude south-facing slopes; mineral-rich sandy soils of marine origin; 2-million-year-old acidic soils (some of most acidic in world); rich in iron and potassium
Signature wines
Tenute Sella Lessona DOC (benchmark, 85% Nebbiolo/Spanna + 15% Vespolina, 55-year-old vines); Tenute Sella Omaggio a Quintino Sella (riserva di famiglia, 50-year-old vines, top vintages only); Proprietà Sperino (Luca De Marchi); Pietro Cassina; La Badina Riserva; Massimo Clerico
What sets it apart
Near-extinction survival story - 6.5ha in 1990s now 23ha; Sella family 1671 sole continuous producer; marine-origin acidic sandy soils (unique terroir); 12th century winemaking; 1905 hailstorm devastation; Alto Piemonte "forgotten" region; elegant Nebbiolo lighter than Barolo; DOC 1976; new wave renaissance with De Marchi family involvement

Facts

  • ~23 hectares (up from 6.5ha in 1990s, down from 200ha early 1900s)
  • DOC 1976
  • near-extinction after 1905 hailstorm and vine disease epidemics
  • workers abandoned vineyards for Biella textile mills
  • Sella family sole continuous producer since 1671
  • wine made in commune since 12th century
  • part of Alto Piemonte forgotten wine region
  • sandy marine soils extremely acidic
  • ~75,000 bottles annually from all producers

Region profile from the Wine Memories wine-data corpus · verified January 2026