Wines from Piedmont

The grapes for the excellent Chardonnay Bastia come from high-altitude, south-west-facing plots in Monforte d'Alba, whose calcareous marl soils with veins of clay and sand provide tension and fine minerality. Pale straw yellow in colour with golden reflections. Yellow apple, pear and ripe lemon on the nose, accompanied by hints of white flowers, fresh almonds and subtle vanilla notes. Fresh and harmonious on the palate, with clear fruit, fine acidity and a creamy texture that comes from ageing partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in used barriques. An elegant, terroir-influenced Chardonnay from high-altitude Barolo vineyards with the very best Burgundy charm and great development potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Elisi is a barrique-aged blend of grappas from different vintages and grape varieties. The marc from Barbera, Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon give this grappa elegance, finesse and complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

This classic Barolo, based on an exciting blend of plots from Serralunga d'Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Barolo, shows the stylistic signature of the region at its best. The soils are structurally diverse: rich in calcareous marl, loam and mineral intersperses, each parcel contributes its part to the tension of the wine. The 2020 vintage reveals a model year of balance: a cool, precise ripening process with milder temperatures early on, followed by warm but balanced days and cool nights until the harvest. After traditional vinification – including daily pumping over during the 25-day maceration period – the wine matured for around 24–30 months in tonneaux.

The foundation of the Elena Spirits range – the Vermouth di Torino Rosso. Not a limited vintage Vermouth like the Superiore variants, but an elegant, harmonious product that combines tradition and future. The basis? High-quality Piedmontese wines – first and foremost the famous Langhe Nebbiolo "Perbacco" from Vietti, complemented by other Nebbiolo wines. In addition, 30 natural botanicals and herbs from Piedmont, which are cold macerated in alcohol for three weeks. The extract is blended with the Nebbiolo and matured for 50 days in stainless steel tanks.

Serralunga d'Alba stands for powerful Barolo with depth, structure and astonishing ageing potential. Giovanni Rosso draws the best from this origin: south-east to south-west facing vines on calcareous, clayey-maceous soils at high altitudes (300-350 metres), combined with rigorous natural cultivation. The 2020 vintage recorded optimal ripeness, favoured by warm days, cool nights and a flawless autumn. After careful manual harvesting, each parcel underwent separate 25-day maceration, after which the wine matured for between 24 and 60 months in large oak barrels.

Traditionally vinified Barolo from the estate's best vineyards. Brilliant ruby red colour. Complex, spicy bouquet of liquorice, tobacco, dried flowers, violets and damp leaves. Very emphatic, firm and full-bodied on the palate. Its racy and forward style is flanked by tangible, robust tannins. Finishes with a fine sweetness, elegant and long. The already undisputed high level will continue to develop in full beauty over the next few years. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for Prunotto's highly attractive Barbaresco come from long-standing contract plots in Treiso and Neive. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand, the lots are destemmed separately and fermented in stainless steel; the maceration time is around eight days at controlled temperatures. Malolactic fermentation is completed before winter. The wine matures for around a year in large oak barrels of various sizes – deliberately designed for balance, texture and expression of origin.

Before individual vineyards became a currency, Barolo was an idea. An idea that combined different soils, different slopes, different communities into one whole – and created a complexity that no single vineyard could achieve on its own. Davide Rosso sticks to this idea. His Barolo DOCG combines grapes from three municipalities in equal parts: Serralunga d'Alba with its hard limestone marls and uncompromising tannin structure, Castiglione Falletto with somewhat lighter, sandy soils and a natural aromatic suppleness, and the commune of Barolo itself, whose Tortonian soils lend the Nebbiolo a floral, accessible side.

Anyone looking for the hardest terroir in the Barolo zone will inevitably end up in Serralunga d'Alba. The whitish limestone marl soils of the Helvetian formation – compacted, rich in minerals, barren – give the Nebbiolo here a rigour that is not found elsewhere in the Langhe. No flattery, no quick opening. Instead: structure, depth, staying power. The Rosso family has been cultivating these soils for over a century. For the Barolo del Comune, Davide Rosso draws from four parcels that cover the entire breadth of the municipality: Costa Bella in the northern part, south-facing; Broglio, sandy and east-facing in the heart of Serralunga; Sorano, clay-rich, also east-facing; and Meriame, limestone-rich, a more recent acquisition. No single site dominates, the goal is a wine that represents Serralunga as a whole, not just one facet. Hand-picked in mid-October, spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks for 25 days with daily pumping over and a délestage at half-time. Maturation in 50-hectolitre French oak barrels for 18 to 36 months, depending on the origin of the grapes. Bottled without filtration.

Bionzo is a hamlet near Costigliole d'Asti, around 15 kilometres south-east of Alba – not a famous name, not a long headline. But here, on five hectares of calcareous clay and marl soils with a southern exposure, 250 metres above sea level, are Barbera vines that have been rooting through the same soil for more than six decades. La Spinetta has been vinifying one of the most characterful representatives of this denomination since 1998. Giorgio Rivetta's conviction that 90 per cent of the quality comes from the vineyard is evident here: no herbicides, no artificial fertilisers, horses instead of tractors to keep the soil alive. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled tanks for 14 to 15 days, malolactic fermentation and subsequent ageing take place in French oak barrels – 20 per cent new, the rest second fermentation. Then bottle ageing. Certified organic.

The name Pin honours Giuseppe "Pin" Rivetti, the paternal driving force behind this family and founder of La Spinetta. His Rosso Monferrato is more than just a cuvée – it is a personal legacy made from 65% Nebbiolo (from aged vines from Castagnole Lanze/Neive) and 35% Barbera d'Asti (Bionzo parcel). Each grape variety was vinified separately – fermentation on the skins for around 7-8 days in rotary fermenters at a controlled temperature, followed by malolactic fermentation in French wood. Ageing took place for 16-18 months in used, medium-toasted barriques before the two components matured in stainless steel tanks for a further two months, followed by 15 months of bottle ageing without filtration.

Monprà combines equal parts Barbera and Nebbiolo from vines in Monforte d'Alba, some of which are over 50 years old, at an altitude of 300-400 metres, from sites with clayey-limestone marl soils interspersed with sandy veins. Fermentation is temperature-controlled and takes place separately for each grape variety in stainless steel, while malolactic fermentation and 18 months of ageing take place separately in French oak. Only then are the batches blended – a precise, elegant blend that combines the fullness of Barbera with the noblesse of Nebbiolo.

Pecchenino, traditionally known in Dogliani for Dolcetto, ventured into Monforte d'Alba, one of the eleven Barolo villages and home to some of the appellation's most prestigious single vineyards, in the early 2000s. Today, the family cultivates plots in the three prestigious Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive Ravera di Monforte, Le Coste di Monforte and Bussia – sites whose names carry weight in connoisseur circles. San Giuseppe is not a single vineyard, but a composed vision: 50% Ravera di Monforte, 35% Le Coste and 15% Bussia merge to create a Barolo that combines the strengths of these different terroirs. Ravera, at an altitude of 440 metres, with its whitish marl, brings minerality and structure. Le Coste, exposed to the south-east, delivers elegance and aromatic finesse. Bussia, the largest and best known of the three, contributes strength and ageing potential. The chalky, clayey soils, the south to south-westerly exposure and the precise manual labour in the vineyard – everything follows the principle of low yields for maximum concentration.

Monprà consists of equal parts Barbera and Nebbiolo – two Piedmontese character grape varieties that together paint a picture of fruit, tension and fine contours. They grow in Monforte d'Alba at an altitude of 300-400 metres on soils of calcareous marl with sandy and clayey veins that lend minerality and structure. Both grape varieties are fermented separately, undergo malolactic fermentation and then mature for around twelve months in used French barriques. Only then are they blended – this preserves the characteristics of both varieties and creates a harmonious whole.

The grapes for Clerico's entry-level Barolo come from younger vines in the top vineyards of Pajana, Ciabot Mentin and Percristina (Mosconi). The 2021 vintage is considered one of the best of the last decade: a balanced vegetation cycle with warm, sunny days and cool nights promoted even ripening and preserved the concise acidity structure. In the glass, it shines a rich garnet red with ruby-coloured reflections. The nose reveals a clear, complex aroma of ripe cherry, dark plum and dried rose, complemented by hints of violet, tobacco, liquorice and a fine, balsamic note. Powerful and precise on the palate, with juicy fruit, present, well-integrated acidity and taut, fine-grained tannins that promise a long development. The 2021 still needs to develop a little, but the essential components are already very convincing today. SUPERIORE.DE

The Bordini parcel lies between gentle hills in the municipality of Neive, with a southern exposure and calcareous soil – one of the structure-forming Barbaresco vineyards that has always been famous for its power, elegance and depth. The 2021 vintage is considered particularly refined: A long, balanced growing season nourished the grapes with balanced ripeness, while cooler nights preserved the fine acidity. The manual harvest in mid-October was perfectly timed and ensured the high quality of the harvest. Ageing in large oak barrels for 12-14 months brought complementary depth without masking the clear fruit expression.

Bruno Giacosa was not a man of long explanations. His credo could be summarised in one sentence: perfect grapes, minimal intervention, the terroir does the rest. Since his death in 2018, his daughter Bruna has continued to run the winery in Neive with winemaker Dante Scaglione – the same philosophy, the same meticulousness, the same conviction that Nebbiolo needs no help if it grows in the right place. The Nebbiolo d'Alba does not come from the Langhe, but from the Roero – the left bank of the Tanar, the often underestimated opposite bank to Barolo and Barbaresco. The vineyards in the municipalities of Monteu Roero, Santo Stefano Roero and Vezza d'Alba lie on sandy, calcareous soils that show a different side to Nebbiolo than the heavy limestone marl of the Langhe: more accessible, more floral, with a natural lightness in the tannin. Vines between 20 and 30 years old, various exposures, harvested at the beginning of October. Spontaneous fermentation, 25 days maceration in steel tanks, complete malolactic fermentation. Matured for 14 months in French oak. Bottled without filtration.

The Bordini vineyard in Neive, sun-kissed and situated on calcareous, slightly sandy soils, has been known for generations for Nebbiolo with natural vigour and fine contours. The 2022 vintage brought a warm, dry growing climate, which, thanks to cool nights and precise harvest, produced grapes with intense aromas and optimal phenolic ripeness. The colour in the glass is a rich ruby with a slight garnet hue. The nose is inviting and multi-layered: juicy plum, ripe strawberry and the warm aroma of crushed nutmeg interweave with rose petals, orange peel, a hint of dried herbs and fine spice. On the palate, the wine reveals its dual nature – generous red-fleshed fruit paired with the classic Nebbiolo structure that characterises Bordini. Velvety but noticeable tannins provide backbone, while the lively acidity keeps the rich fruit in balance and lends freshness and energy to the powerful body. The finish is long, savoury and infused with a fine mineral vein – a Barbaresco full of expressiveness that harmoniously combines the essence of the vineyard and vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

Albe! ... the poetic name of this Barolo refers to the sky at sunrise, as experienced by the various terroirs of the estate: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. These high-altitude sites each produce slightly different dawns, which is symbolically reflected in the harmony of the cuvée. The grapes come from young but ripe Nebbiolo vines and combine the nuances of each parcel to create a flowing, elegant expression. The grapes were carefully harvested by hand, each parcel was vinified separately and only combined into a cuvée in the spring before bottling. The wine is matured for around 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (40–75 hl) with annual racking – a maturation that allows for depth and harmony.