Wines from Piedmont

Santo Stefano Belbo is a small town in the Langhe, at the transition to the Asti zone – known as the birthplace of Cesare Pavese and the heart of Moscato cultivation. It is also the home of the Ceretto family. A second story began here in 1976, when Bruno and Marcello Ceretto had long been regarded as the reformers of Barolo and Barbaresco: together with four local winegrowing families, they founded I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano – out of a desire to restore the dignity of Moscato d'Asti. At the time, the grape variety had sunk into mass production and the name had been eroded. In contrast, they set 41 hectares, hand-picked grapes and a clear attitude. Today, almost fifty years later, the principle remains unchanged: 100% Moscato Bianco from marble-rich hillside terrain at around 400 metres above Santo Stefano Belbo and neighbouring Calosso. Fermented exclusively in steel. The freshness and varietal character of Moscato should speak for themselves, and they do so extremely well.

Nascetta, indigenous to the Langhe region and particularly rooted in Novello, is considered the "forgotten queen of Piedmont's white wines". Once almost disappeared, it was revitalised by dedicated winegrowers and today shows its full potential: aromatically nuanced, elegantly matured and with natural tension. For La Regina, the grapes are carefully harvested and matured in stainless steel tanks to allow the fruit and origin to be clearly experienced. An authentic, rare white wine with character – and a shining example of the diversity of Piedmont.

Originating from a single parcel in Dogliani, facing south-west and grown on a chalky-clay medium soil, Quass Pecchenino is a concentrated Barbera signature characterised by its terroir. The vines are over 35 years old, trained in Guyot with around 5,000 vines/ha – a classic Dogliani setting that combines density, freshness and a distinctive mineral line. The first release in 1994 also makes Quass a piece of house history.

The name refers to an ancient coin of the Genoese lords who once owned the vineyards around Gavi. Today, the Cortese grapes come from the heart of the appellation: the Comune di Gavi itself, where calcareous marl soils and pronounced day-night differences give the wine its characteristic freshness and floral aromas. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled with carbon dioxide snow and pressed particularly gently. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by three months of bottle ageing.

An international white wine in a region that is world-famous for its great red wines? Pecchenino dared to try this experiment in Bossolasco at an altitude of 700 metres, and the challenge was mastered with flying colours. Here, where one would expect to find Arneis or Cortese, Riesling Renano thrives on calcareous soils with marl and white clay. The south-easterly exposure and the cool, high-altitude climate of the Alta Langa create ideal conditions for the crystalline acidity and aromatic precision that characterise great Rieslings from France and Germany. The grapes are harvested in mid-September when perfectly ripe, cooled to 12°C in the cellar and gently pressed. This is followed by ten months of ageing on the fine lees with repeated bâtonnage and a further six months of bottle ageing.

A Rosato with a name that has a person behind it. Rosy Pio was the granddaughter of the founder – and the grandmother of Federica and Cesare, the fifth generation of the house. The Pio Cesare family carries its history in its wines. This one bears it in its name. The decision to vinify Nebbiolo as a rosé was a matter of the heart: a small addition of Syrah, their own vineyards in Treiso in the Barbaresco region, various exposures and locations. Early harvest in small crates after strict selection in the vineyard, gentle pressing with short maceration. Fermentation partly in stainless steel, partly in non-new French oak barriques. One month on the lees.

There are wines that define a winery. Sirì d'Jermu is one of them. Since it was first bottled in 1988, this single-vineyard Dolcetto has embodied the elegance and ageing potential that Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino are able to draw from the grape variety – and it is the reason why Pecchenino is now counted amongst the most respected producers in the appellation. The name refers to the vineyard of the same name, situated right next to the historic winery in Dogliani, where 35-year-old vines are rooted in medium-heavy, calcareous soils with silt and clay components. The south-west-facing aspect ensures optimal ripening conditions for the concentration and complexity that characterise Dogliani Superiore. Vinification follows traditional principles with modern precision: after destemming, the must – including a proportion of whole bunches – is fermented for 15 to 20 days at 26°C in stainless steel tanks, using exclusively indigenous yeasts. What sets Sirì d’Jermu apart from San Luigi, however, is the ageing process: twelve months in large oak casks lend the wine structure, depth and the capacity for maturation that gives it an ageing potential of over ten years.

Chardonnay only arrived in Piedmont in the 19th century – late for a region with such a deep winemaking tradition. But in the municipalities of Fontanile and Castel Boglione, north of Nizza Monferrato, the grape variety found a soil that took it seriously: Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili, an alternation of fossilised marl and sandstone with a good proportion of limestone. The Bertolino family discovered this potential in the 1950s and 60s – at a time when the region's sparkling wine production demanded a Chardonnay of exceptional quality. Today, Tenuta Olim Bauda only produces a few thousand bottles from these vineyards. The grapes are harvest in the first week of September. Gentle pressing, only pre-fermentation must. 36 hours of contact with the fine lees at 5°C with bâtonnage for aromatic extraction, followed by static clarification. Fermentation in large 50-hectolitre wooden vats for around 15 days. Maturation in tonneaux, 10% of which are new, for around one year.

The Barbera vines for this wine are rooted in plots around Novello, partly in the renowned Ravera zone, on calcareous and clayey marl soils with good water retention. Deep ruby red in colour with a violet rim. The bouquet opens with ripe cherry, plum and blackcurrant, underpinned by violets, delicate herbal spice and a hint of liquorice. Full-bodied and harmonious on the palate, carried by juicy fruit and lively acidity that counteracts the warmth of the vintage with freshness. The tannins are soft but present and give the wine contour. Ageing for 12 months in large, used wooden barrels and a short period of maturation in the bottle round off the profile: a beautiful Barbera with a balance between fruitiness and elegance that is a true reflection of its origins. Outstanding value. SUPERIORE.DE

Dolcetto is the third voice in the Piedmontese trio – after Nebbiolo and Barbera, the most accessible, the most immediate. No grand gestures, no long maturation periods. Instead: flavour, fruit, liveliness. Prunotto specifically captures these characteristics – the wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks so as not to overpower the typical freshness and fruitiness of the variety. 100% Dolcetto from vineyards around Alba. Maceration for six days at a controlled 27–28°C, malolactic fermentation until mid-December – then steel, nothing more.

Bright ruby colour with a violet rim. Juicy red cherry and blackberry on the nose, with violets and a fine hint of bitter almond – open, inviting and typically Dolcetto. Fresh and straightforward on the palate: juicy fruit, fine, ripe tannins and an invigorating, well-integrated acidity make for a lively and enjoyable wine. The final is clear, with a delicate almond note and a cool, mineral accent. A classic Dolcetto full of character from Pio Cesare, uncomplicated in the very best sense of the word, with style, precision and a beautiful drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

L'Altro is one of the house classics. A Langhe Chardonnay full of character that combines the clarity of the stainless steel, the fine spiciness of the wood and the subtle depth of the lees in a very charming way. The grapes come from higher-lying parcels around Treiso, Serralunga d'Alba and Trezzo Tinella; harvested cool and vinified parcel by parcel. Around three quarters are fermented in stainless steel, the smaller part in French barriques; the wine then remains on the fine lees for several months – regularly stirred for more texture and complexity.

Straw yellow with a greenish tinge. Made from 100% Cortese from selected, hilly parcels in the Gavi region – fermented cool and matured on fine lees in stainless steel to preserve freshness and finesse. Clear citrus notes, white peach and pear on the nose, with a hint of blossom and delicate almond. Dry, straightforward and lively on the palate: Juicy, precise fruit, a taut, citric acidity and a fine, salty mineral tone that leads into the long, clear finish. A classic, elegant Gavi – straightforward, animating and charming. Excellent for light summer cuisine, with fish and rice dishes and white meat, but also a real pleasure to drink on its own. SUPERIORE.DE

Vietti captures the soul of Dolcetto in all its unpretentiousness – trevìe (formerly TreVigne) is like a playlist hit that is instantly catchy but lingers in the memory. The grapes come from plots in Monforte, Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto and are fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. Extracted with gentle pumpovers, the wine matures on the fine lees – without wood, without make-up, simply pure purity.

Barbera is the heart of everyday life in Piedmont – but anyone who knows it knows that everyday life can be demanding. Prunotto harvests it from clay and sandy soils around Alba, lets several vineyards grow together in spring and consistently does without wood. The variety should speak, not be moulded. 2024 was a wet, labour-intensive vintage. Consistent thinning out in the vineyard ensured the concentration – and the freshness that makes this Barbera so lively. Harvest at the end of September to the beginning of October, five to seven days of maceration at 28–30°C, malolactic fermentation until mid-December, then stainless steel.

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson described Nebbiolo as fresh, slightly sparkling and smooth. Gian Battista Croce, court goldsmith at Casa Savoia in Turin, noted exactly the same thing back in 1606. Giuseppe Vajra came across these protocols during historical research – and understood immediately: Nebbiolo was not always the way it is drunk today. There was a time before long maceration, before large barrels, before Barolo. Claré J.C. – "J.C." stands for Juliette Colbert, the woman who revolutionised the vinification of Barolo in the 19th century – is a time capsule there. 100% Nebbiolo from young vineyards on both Langhe soils: Tortonian and Serravallian. Short maceration, gentle extraction, part fermented with whole grapes, maturation in stainless steel tanks until bottling in February. Nebbiolo in its earliest, freshest form.

Barbera is the backbone of Asti, so to speak. More planted than any other grape variety in the province, more familiar on every table, more accessible than the great Nebbiolo – and yet in the best vineyards it has a depth that refutes any comparison with the simple everyday wine. The Bertolino family has understood this from the very beginning. Le Rocchette is their proof. 100% Barbera with a maximum yield of 80 to 90 quintals per hectare. Hand-picked in the first week of October, processed the same evening. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Then 18 months in 25-hectolitre French Allier oak barrels, which give the Barbera structure and depth without taking away its characteristic freshness. A further six months in the bottle. The Superiore appellation is not a formality here.

Serralunga d'Alba is Barolo country. The most limestone-rich soils in the entire appellation, the longest-lived and most structured wines in the zone, the village that pushes Nebbiolo to its limits – and makes it grow there in the first place. The Massolino family has been rooted here since 1896, built the cellar under the historic centre of the village and never considered moving it elsewhere. In 1992, Franco Massolino dared to experiment: Chardonnay on the hills of Serralunga. A provocation in the red wine village. And one that proved to be true – because what these limestone soils give to Nebbiolo, they also give to Chardonnay: structure, minerality, depth, Storage potential. Not a friendly summer wine, but one that bears the signature of its soil. The vinification is as complex as the wine itself: partly in barriques, partly in steel and cement, around 12 months sur lie on the fermentation lees, then at least six months in the bottle – a patience that gives the Chardonnay time to find its feet. Massolino himself calls the monitoring of this vinification "almost obsessive". And rightly so.

A wonderful and completely "unplanned" wine: Paolo actually wanted to plant more Moscato vines in this small 1.5-hectare, sustainably cultivated vineyard when he recognised the quality of the Barbera grapes ripening there in 2016. Without further ado, he decided to vinify a Barbera, which he then aptly named Per Sbaglio - which means "by mistake". We congratulate him on this decision, as just 3,000 bottles are released onto the market every year.

Timorasso is not mainstream, but rather a speciality of Piedmont. With its Derthona, Vite Colte presents a white wine that you rediscover and then prefer to drink again immediately – because it has a different appearance and is captivatingly clear. It has a bright straw yellow colour in the glass, almost fading into gold. Notes of acacia blossom, hawthorn, ripe peach and a hint of honey emerge on the nose – plus a cool shimmer of flint and minerality, which makes everything a little more exciting. On the palate, structure meets juiciness: full-bodied, yet light on the palate thanks to present, fine acidity. There is also a subtle nutty undertone that adds fine depth without becoming dominant. The finish is long, elegant and clears the palate with chalky freshness. SUPERIORE.DE

Calliano, Basso Monferrato. Three hundred metres above the gentle hills of Monferrato lies the single vineyard that gives this wine its name – and its character. Calcareous, clayey soils with veins of sand, an assemblage that is not a matter of course in Piedmont: 60% Barbera, 40% Syrah. Two grape varieties that could hardly be more different – one indigenous and acidic, the other a Rhône traveller with tannin structure and spice. Prunotto ferments the two separately, only allowing them to grow together after malolactic fermentation.

Nebbiolo beyond Barolo: Tovasacco comes from the estate's own vineyards around Canale, Priocca and Alba, where the sandy soils of the Roero give the great Piedmontese wine its very own character – less austere, more accessible, but by no means superficial. Manual harvesting leads to a complex selection process: First, the grapes are sorted on a vibrating table and cooled with carbonic acid snow, followed by a second selection of the individual berries after destemming. Mash fermentation takes place over 20 days with délestage and submerged cap, followed by maturation in oak barrels for twelve months.

Straw yellow in colour with a fine, persistent perlage. The nose is a fragrant mix of orange blossom, white peach and lime zest, accompanied by sage and a hint of blossom honey. Delicately sparkling and crystal clear on the palate: juicy stone fruit, fine sweetness and a lively, citric acidity are perfectly balanced. The ageing in pressurised tanks preserves the aromatic purity and ensures lightness and flow. Long, fragrant finish with a delicate minerality – an elegant, typical Moscato d'Asti with a high charm factor. SUPERIORE.DE