Wines from Piedmont

Rio Sordo lies alone. The southernmost location of the Produttori del Barbaresco, a narrow strip running from north to south and bordering the municipality of Treiso to the west. The soils are light-coloured, low in lime, slightly – very different from the clay-rich slopes in the north or the calcareous sites in the centre. And it is precisely this less that leads to more: Silkiness. Tannins that never overwhelm, but accompany. A surface that seduces before revealing its depth. The process is the same as for all Produttori del Barbaresco sites: 28 days of maceration, thirty months in Slavonian oak barrels, one year in the bottle. First vinified as a single vineyard in 1978 – at a time when the world was just beginning to take Barbaresco seriously.

To the north, Pora is bordered by a vertical rocky ridge that drops steeply down to the Tanaro river – covered by a dense oak forest, famous for its white truffle. This is no coincidence. The river is close by, its influence measurable: the summer mornings are more temperate than elsewhere, the humidity higher, the soil more fertile than in most other locations of the Produttori del Barbaresco. What the vine makes of it is a Nebbiolo with special accessibility – a gentle hand that does not deny the traditional craft. Because the craft is uncompromising: 28 days of maceration, at least thirty months in large Slavonian oak barrels, one year in the bottle. Domizio Cavazza added Pora to his vineyard list in 1894 as one of the first vineyards; the Produttori have been bottling it separately since 1967.

Barolo Le Coste di Monforte from the top 2019 vintage is extremely beguiling in the glass. Rose petals, cedar wood, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and blood orange are the first flavours to open up. It is deep and complex on the palate and exceptionally beautiful and harmonious for a young Barolo. Time in the glass brings out its countless nuances. SUPERIORE.DE

The MGA Le Coste is located in the heights of Monforte d'Alba, where the rows of vines nestle at 440 metres on south-east facing slopes – a site that Barolo connoisseurs appreciate for its vigour and unmistakable character. The whitish marl soils of this plot of just under one hectare give the Nebbiolo the mineral depth and structural rigour that make Monforte wines so unique. Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino vinify the grapes of this single-vineyard Barolo with the utmost respect for the terroir: temperature-controlled fermentation in steel tanks is followed by an extended maceration of 60 days using the historic method of the sunken cap, before the wine matures for a full 36 months in large oak barrels and cement vats after malolactic fermentation.

Bussia 2019 is a powerful, intense wine that shows great depth and intensity, with a powerful tannin that gives the wine its masculine, virile personality. Notes of black cherry, wood smoke, liquorice, leather, menthol, pine, scorched earth and pebbles unfold in the glass. Although it is already very expressive, it still needs some time in the bottle so that the tannins can calm down a little. Nevertheless, it is already impressive and represents the 2019 Piedmontese wine year in a great way. SUPERIORE.DE

The name was finalised by the official MGA classification in 2007: Muncagota – the Piedmontese dialect term for what was called Moccagatta for decades. Wine, winegrower and soil remained the same. The site lies to the south-east of the village centre, opening up to the morning light, which reaches the grapes earlier than on the west-facing slopes. The soil is rich in limestone, the yield is compact – and the character it gives the Nebbiolo is unusual for a Barbaresco vineyard: floral, almost minty-herbaceous, with a freshness that holds its own even in warm vintages. The Produttori del Barbaresco have been vinifying Muncagota since 1967, identically to all other sites of the cooperative: 28 days of maceration, thirty months or more in large Slavonian oak barrels, a further year in the bottle. The same method for all, the differences come only from the terroir.

Barolo Garretti is a wine from the slopes of the La Spinetta estate in Grinzane Cavour. These grapes were previously used in Barolo Campé. It is bold, racy and super-expressive. Juicy dark cherry, lavender, spices, menthol, red flowers, liquorice and French oak come together in this creamy, racy wine from La Spinetta. Garretti captures all the richness and pedigree of the vintage in a forward, juicy style that is sure to find many admirers. This is a particularly strong vintage for this wine, even if it needs another year in the bottle to soften the powerful tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

The latest addition to Vajra's Barolo line-up comes from a 1.5-hectare plot in Coste di Rose, a small MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) in the Barolo region. This is a steep slope at 310 metres above sea level with a high proportion of sandy soils with good drainage, whose vines and soils are cultivated close to nature. This very accessible Barolo is straightforward, forward and impresses even at a young age with its refreshing candour. A very precise bouquet of cherry, plum, liquorice, spices and menthol, followed by a broad and multi-layered fruity palate with plenty of juice and power, supportive tannins and a full, long, mineral and minty finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Vinified from selected, south to south-west-facing plots in the heart of the Langhe, this Barbera exemplifies Sandrone's understanding of balance between varietal expression and elegance. The 2022 vintage, characterised by warm, dry summer months and cool nights, yielded fully ripe harvestwith concentrated aromas and fresh acidity. The short maturation in used wooden barrels rounds off the texture without overpowering the varietal freshness.

When Luciano Sandrone bought his first vineyard in Cannubi Boschis in 1977 – financed with all his savings – and vinified the first bottle in his parents' garage a year later, nobody could have guessed that this humble beginning would grow into one of Barolo's most iconic wineries. After his death in 2024, daughter Barbara, brother Luca as Oenologist and wife Mariuccia continue the legacy today: 27 hectares between Langa and Roero, six wines of uncompromising quality that combine tradition and modernity in equal measure. The Barbera d'Alba, vinified from grapes from various plots in Monforte d'Alba and Novello, is more than just an accompanying wine – it is a statement that Sandrone devotes the same attention to each grape variety as he does to his legendary Barolo.

Grinzane Cavour, 240 metres above sea level. One of the few parcels in the entire denomination with a full southern exposure. The single vineyard Garretti epitomises the extraordinary harmony that once attracted Giorgio Rivetti when he decided to expand into the Barolo region in 2001. Here, where seventy-year-old Nebbiolo vines are rooted in alluvial soils with a calcareous clay layer, wines of remarkable balance are produced. The site benefits from exceptional ventilation due to its distance from the hill opposite – a microclimatic advantage that ensures exceptional temperature fluctuations and preserves freshness even in the hottest years.

A Barbaresco of exceptional complexity. Rich in tannins and structured thanks to the chalky composition of the soil, it nevertheless retains a characteristic freshness and minerality that makes it a favourite with connoisseurs. Freshly cut flowers, minerals, crushed rock, rose petals and lavender. As always, Montefico is taut and angular in style. Its sense of transparency is simply beguiling. Sage, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are some of the nuances that linger. Montefico is a Barbaresco for lovers of tauter red wines, which it will delight. It combines the fruity richness of Montestefano with the vigour of Ovello. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come from the family's own plots throughout the Barbaresco zone – mainly in Treiso (including Il Bricco, San Stefanetto, Bongiovanni) and in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (Rocche di Massalupo). Each vineyard is harvested and fermented separately in order to preserve its own characteristics; the lots are only combined after ripening. The wine is matured in the classic way over a long period in large Slavonian oak barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion in French oak, enough to refine the texture without masking the origin. The 2019 vintage benefited from long, balanced vegetation with cool nights in autumn: fully ripe, aromatically dense grapes with an ideal acid structure.

On the northern edge of the Barolo zone, where Verduno towers over the Langhe hills like an outpost of elegance, lies one of the most mysterious MGAs in the entire denomination. Pisapola – a name familiar only to the initiated, but for those who know it, it holds the promise of exceptional finesse. Here, on calcareous clay and sandstone soils between 250 and 300 metres above sea level, Matteo Ascheri creates a Barolo that expresses the unique personality of Verduno in its purest form. Verduno is different from the other Barolo communes. While Serralunga stands for power and Castiglione Falletto for structure, Verduno is a refuge of elegance and flavour. The complex soil composition of limestone-clay, silt and sandstone, criss-crossed by chalky veins, gives the wines that savoury note that makes Verduno-Baroli so unmistakable. It is no coincidence that the rare Pelaverga grape variety, famous for its white pepper flavours, also thrives here – a clear sign of the aromatic intensity that these soils produce.

The wine comes from a single, gently sloping vineyard above Rocchetta Tanaro, called Bricco dell'Uccellone, named after an elderly local woman who always kept a sharp eye on the vineyards, dressed in black. Here, old vines grow on barren, chalky soils that produce low yields but highly concentrated harvest. With tireless dedication, the Bologna family fulfils the legacy of Giacomo Bologna, who is rightly described as the father of modern Barbera d'Asti. 2021 began with a cool spring, followed by a warm, stable summer that ensured slow, even ripening. The grapes were hand-picked in perfect condition, followed by a long maceration and 12 months of ageing in French barriques.

Walter Massa's single-vineyard Timorasso Montecitorio is produced through a cold maceration of approx. 40 hours, followed by a fermentation of approx. 12 months in stainless steel tanks with regular batonnage of the yeast for approx. 12 months.

The indigenous white grape variety Timorasso led a shadowy existence for many years, but today some winegrowers are already calling it the "white Barolo". This is partly due to its great complexity and finesse, and partly due to the excellent ageing potential of the wines.

A wine that breathes history and yet floats lightly through the modern style: Sito Moresco bears his name in memory of the former family that owned the legendary cru near Barbaresco. For Angelo Gaja, this wine – first vinified in 1991 – marked the entry into a new class: an everyday Langhe, elegantly balanced between regionality and internationality. Since the 2020 edition, the cuvée has consisted exclusively of Nebbiolo and Barbera from selected parcels in Barbaresco and Barolo. Here, the delicate structure and mineral depth of Nebbiolo are combined with the rounder fruit and accessibility of Barbera – without ever appearing too harmonious, but rather complementary and sharpened. Sito Moresco is a modern classic, clear in character, elegant in style, and a Gaja reference in which authenticity and readability merge wonderfully.

A prime example of perfect balance: elegance and structure harmonise perfectly.

Ceretto's 2019 Barolo combines the power of the vintage with the subtle signature of the house. The grapes come from various organically farmed cru sites in La Morra, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba – a composition that emphasises diversity and balance. On the nose, a precise, deep bouquet of dark cherry, ripe raspberry, dried rose and subtle hints of tobacco, liquorice and spicy undergrowth.

Barolo Paesi Tuoi is more than just a designation of origin. The name – borrowed from the novel "Among Peasants" by Cesare Pavese – evokes Piedmont not just as a landscape, but as a cultural space: rural, archaic, full of inner tensions. And so this Barolo is not an expression of a single cru, but a synthesis of the villages, hills and soils that together form the essence of this appellation. The grapes come from different, characterful vineyards around Barolo, Monforte and Serralunga, carefully selected and vinified separately. Long maceration periods, followed by around two years of ageing in traditional, large oak barrels – the result is a classic style with depth.

Full, enveloping and with great persistence, Montestefano is sometimes referred to as the "Barolo of Barbaresco".

The Valmaggiore site, gently sloping and rich in light-coloured, sandy soil, was already noted in old 19th century maps as being particularly suitable for Nebbiolo. Its exposure allows for optimal ripening without losing the fine, almost dance-like style that makes this wine so unmistakable. A Valmaggiore that is already inspiring today with its animating style and at the same time will richly reward patience and bottle ageing.