Wines from Piedmont

This Nebbiolo comes from one of the best vineyards in the Roero and is vinified by Luciano Sandrone with the same care as a Barolo. Brilliant ruby-garnet colour. Wonderful aroma of light red fruit, mainly raspberry and cherry. Earthy on the palate with a lovely strawberry touch and an incredible amount of elegance. The fine-grained tannin is wonderfully integrated and, together with a subtle minerality, gives this Nebbiolo a race, depth and finesse that is unrivalled. SUPERIORE.DE

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first set eyes on the concave hill of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It wasn't just history that moved them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire area – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils give the Nebbiolo the finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

The grapes for the Barbaresco come mainly from the top vineyards Pora, Ovello, Montestefano, Muncagota and Rio Sordo. Deep, lively ruby to garnet red colour. A broad bouquet of red fruit and biscuits with a hint of minerality. The palate is characterised by a rich, solid structure and a continuous development that ends in a long, fragrant final. Every year, the leading Italian winegrowers' cooperative shows what it and its members are capable of with its basic Barbaresco. SUPERIORE.DE

At Pelissero, "Tulin" not only stands for a vineyard, but also for a claim. The extremely rare Barbera from this parcel is not a by-product of the Nebbiolo-heavy winery, but an independent, uncompromisingly sophisticated interpretation of the Barbera grape variety. In a year like 2021, which united structure, freshness and concentration in a rare balance, this wine reaches a level that sets it apart from the crowd - and clearly places it in the rank of an exceptional wine. The vines grow on calcareous marl with blue clay - a constellation that combines maturity with tension. The yields are low, the selection strict. Tulin is matured for around 18 months in French barriques, with the necessary time and care to get the best out of the grape variety - not more fruit, not more wood, but more depth and complexity.

Vanotu is the great single-vineyard Barbaresco of the house – a wine with origin at its core and concentration in its expression. The grapes come from the historic Basarin vineyard in Neive, a cru parcel with south-west exposure and steep limestone marl soils, which not only give the Nebbiolo depth, but also structure and vertical tension. The name "Vanotu" is a dedication to Giovanni (Vanotu) Pelissero, grandfather of the current winemaker – a family foundation to which this wine owes its independence. The wine is matured with sensitivity: around 20 months in barriques, some of which are new, precisely matched to the character of the vintage. No dominant wood notes, but a framework that gives the grape variety space and direction.

The grapes for this elegant Nebbiolo come from the Ravera di Monforte vineyard, a small, calcareous and clayey plot on the south-eastern slope above the village of Monforte d'Alba. It shares its name with the famous Novello cru, but is independent and characterised by stony soils that give the roots depth and minerality. Bright garnet red with a ruby-coloured core. The bouquet opens with clear, youthful fruit: sour cherry, redcurrant and a hint of raspberry, underpinned by violets, dried herbs and a subtle hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine is taut and fresh, with precise acidity, ripe tannins and an animating, slightly salty length. An authentic Nebbiolo from the Langhe that clearly shows its origin and character in the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

An elegant, complex and supple Barbaresco. Shy in its youth, it develops its intense personality over the years.

Michele Chiarlo's Barbaresco Faset offers a high degree of intensity and balance. Its bouquet shows wild berries and cassis with sophisticated background notes of tar, smoke and dark spices. It is a silky expression of the grape variety with a long and very convincing finish. Be patient and give it another 3-5 years to give it the time it needs to integrate and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

G.D. Vajra's Ravera (whose vineyard extends over the municipalities of Novello and Barolo) is always the most angular, powerful and vertical of their collection. It comes from soils with clay and sandstone at 320 to 340 metres above sea level. This is the ideal place for wines that show both power and elegance. The tannins are sweet, but every fibre of the backbone is dense and firm. Red and purple fruits with liquorice, tar and white truffle are neatly packaged here and only reveal themselves gradually, but then with beautiful precision and straightforwardness. The final has a wonderfully long aftertaste, superb! SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby red in colour with a slight garnet hue – a lively start to this elegant Nebbiolo from the breathtaking vineyards of Ravera near Monforte d'Alba at an altitude of around 400 metres. The vines are around 15 years old and are deeply rooted in chalky clay soil, which gives the wine its characteristic freshness and precision. After manual harvesting and gentle fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures for around 14 months in used French barriques before being bottled.

From the beginning, Pio Cesare produced limited quantities of Barolo Chinato and Vermouth, precisely according to a family recipe handed down by his grandfather. In the early 1950s, however, production was discontinued as tastes and preferences changed.

A classically composed and perfect introduction to Altare Nebbiolo from its own vineyards in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba. With its modern character (use of barriques), the Elio Altare winery has always been one of those producers whose Barolo wines appear less hard and brittle when young and rarely beg for more than 10 years of further ageing in the bottle.

La Villa needs time to fully develop. The interplay of the 40% Barbera fruit with the flavours and structure of the 60% Nebbiolo once again proves to be seductive. Sweet floral notes merge with cedar wood, aniseed and bright red fruit. On the palate, La Villa is simply beguilingly silky, yet energetic and always full of freshness as it progresses. For all its well-dosed opulence, it always remains elegant and once it has unfolded, it is irresistibly good. SUPERIORE.DE

Giarborina is not only another breathtaking wine from Altare, but also actually a Barolo that comes to market just one year earlier and is therefore more open and accessible. Its dramatic aromatics and finely interwoven fruit are the hallmarks of the exceptional 2021 vintage, in which the Altare family has captured the full potential of the year. Giarborina is a regal, aristocratic wine that packs a punch and its polished tannins add to the wine's appeal. SUPERIORE.DE

Pure Chardonnay in the finest Burgundy style in honour of Lidia, the mother of the three Rivetti brothers. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Delicate, buttery nose of pineapple and peach, with hints of stone fruit, jasmine and nutmeg. Multi-layered, creamy and dry on the palate, the beautiful mineral vein and subtly lingering fruit accompany this elegant Chardonnay into a complex and long finish. A delicious wine monument that will gain even more tension and elegance as it matures. SUPERIORE.DE

Ravera is considered one of the great Grand Cru sites of Barolo – majestically situated on a south-west facing high plateau of Novello. G.D. Vajra's plots here lie at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, where the vines are deeply rooted in the calcareous and clayey marl soils of the Sant'Agata formation. This geological mixture gives the wine its characteristic depth, firm structure and mineral signature. Ravera is famous for Barolo with cool precision, rich fruit and enormous ageing potential. The 2021 vintage offered picture-perfect conditions: a harmonious growing season with no periods of extreme heat, a long, sunny autumn with cool nights and a late, perfectly ripe harvest at the end of October. Fermentation took place gently with an extended maceration period to maximise colour, structure and aromatic finesse. The organic ageing for 30+ months in large Slavonian barrels was deliberately restrained in order to preserve the powerful but nuanced personality of the terroir unadulterated.

The single vineyard Serradenari is currently the highest in the Barolo area and is also the historic site of the appellation (MGA - Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva). The cool and mountainous climate with its clay and marl soils gives rise to a Nebbiolo that makes few words - it is precise, clear and unambiguous.

Coming from one of the most historic vineyards in Neive, Albesani is a Barbaresco with a classic character and great precision. The south-western slope with calcareous and clayey soils gives the Nebbiolo here a powerful structure without masking its delicate flavour. Thanks to balanced temperatures and a long growing season, the 2021 vintage produced grapes with optimal phenolic ripeness.

Every year, Barolo Via Nuova proves anew why the blending of several vineyards was the favoured method of Barolo producers until the 1960s, when the fascination with single-vineyard wines began. Its grapes come from the Liste, Terlo, Baudana, Gabutti, Ravera di Monforte and Mosconi cru sites.

Bright garnet red with a copper-coloured rim. Fine olfactory cinema of red fruits and sea buckthorn. In addition, forest earth paired with a hint of tobacco and bitter almond. In the glass still young, initially loud tannins, with some air then softer tones and a powerful, lasting final. An elegant, aristocratic wine that leaves a lasting impression not only on the first glass. SUPERIORE.DE

La Villa needs time to fully develop. The interplay of the 40% Barbera fruit with the flavours and structure of the 60% Nebbiolo once again proves to be seductive. Sweet floral notes merge with cedar wood, aniseed and bright red fruit. On the palate, La Villa is simply beguilingly silky, yet energetic and always full of freshness as it progresses. Despite its well-dosed opulence, it always remains elegant and once it has unfolded, it is irresistibly good. SUPERIORE.DE

Do you know the small vineyard Basarin near Neive? A bright ruby garnet awaits you and a wine from a particularly beautiful vintage: on the nose, a cornucopia of aromas of wild sour cherry, herbs, some liquorice and tobacco. Firm and very clearly structured on the palate, muscular and yet with an elegance that never loses control due to its power. Basarin is a highly energetic and precise Nebbiolo that reveals its complexity only with some patience and aeration. The neighbouring terroir Neive shows itself with distinguished elegance and marries harmoniously with the volume and weight typical of the site - and in a depth that only vines over 50 years old can produce. SUPERIORE.DE

The sandy soils north of Monforte d'Alba give this Barolo its immense power and structure. The bouquet is very open and appealing with dark cherries and raspberries, as well as notes of mint, cedar wood, rose petals and sage. Very lively and expressive on the palate, with deep beauty, seamlessly contoured and spectacular resonance. A fabulous wine from a very good vintage, classic and exotic at the same time. SUPERIORE.DE