When it comes to finding great value in nebbiolo of Piemonte, it’s natural to look at Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d’Alba. Both these DOCs provide great selections that are more supple and pristine than the equivalent in Barolo or Barbaresco, and that can be enjoyed sooner, while often costing no more than $30 a bottle. And for Langhe Nebbiolo, many of the grapes may come from declassified vineyards in Barolo/Barbaresco, making its styles and price more variable than Nebbiolo d’Alba.

While we always sing the praises of those timeless bottles from Barolo and Barbaresco made by a few stellar producers and spend time digging into the stylistic divergences among the troops of traditionalists, modernists or reformists, to do so is to miss a bigger picture. Barolo and Barbaresco can offer incredible value for nebbiolo as well, especially when excellent vintages like 2015 and 2016 arrive on shelves (Barolo 2015 and Barbaresco 2016). James is now tasting over 200 Barolos from the 2016 vintage in Hong Kong and will be publishing a report very soon.

Under $40, the virtues of the powerful Barolo and Barbaresco wines are different, but in a nuanced way (think Cotes de Nuits versus Cotes de Beaune, or Pauillac versus Pessac-Leognan). Most wines at this price point are not single-vineyard “cru” bottlings, which tend to allow the terroir to speak through the wine, but are wines that tend to give more of a general impression of the region or the commune.

Compared with Barolo, Barbaresco might be overlooked by many people. Its proximity to the Tanaro river means the region can be a bit warmer, and the nebbiolos here tend to ripen earlier than in most Barolo communes, thus are more drinkable and less demanding when young. The co-operative Produttori del Barbaresco, for example, makes many great-value Barbaresco labels that are readily enjoyable upon release, but can effortlessly age for at least a decade or two. The macroclimate difference, along with the alluvial-rich soil with calcareous clay in Barbaresco, produces wines that are usually more fragrant on the nose and slightly mellower on the palate, unlike the densely compact and austerely tannic wines at youth made in communes such as Serradunga d’Alba. But it is worth comparing Barbaresco to Barolo wines from the communes of La Morra and Verduno, where the climate and terroirs are a little more comparable, yielding elegant nebbiolos that age well but also possess early appeal.

Some nebbiolo connoisseurs would also mention names like Gattinara and Ghemme, as both appellations have great wines. But they are not yet well known outside Italy. I remember tasting some beautiful wines from producers like Travaglini, Nervi and Rovellotti. We have enclosed one of them in our great value list. These wines are the pearls that deserve to be exported more and known by nebbiolo fans around the world.

Below is our selection of 10 bottles from 2015 and 2016, including four 2015 Barolos, five 2016 Barbarescos and one 2016 Gattinara. Next time, if you are seeking out great value nebbiolos from Piemonte, don’t overlook the tall-poppy regions!