Wines from Piedmont

There are wines that possess that unmistakable clarity that summarises the terroir in a nutshell. The classic Barbaresco from Fontanabianca is one such wine – composed from various parcels around Neive, vinified with the precision that Matteo Pola has made the philosophy of the house in the third generation. Where the single vineyards Bordini and Serraboella express the specific characteristics of their crus, this Barbaresco paints the bigger picture: 5.5 hectares on the typical limestone-clay soils of the municipality, 300 metres above sea level, where Nebbiolo has been developing the elegance that Neive stands for in the world of Barbaresco for generations.

You know that there are no side issues at Roagna. When Luca Roagna, the fifth generation of this legendary Barbaresco dynasty, makes Dolcetto, it is not as a stopgap between the great Nebbiolo, but as a commitment to substance. The grapes come from 45-year-old vines in the prestigious Pajé and Asili vineyards, where the iconic Barbaresco otherwise matures. Pajé, with its calcareous marl soils and high proportion of active limestone, and Asili, with its east-facing clay-limestone soils and distinctive sand content – these are no ordinary Dolcetto terroirs. The vinification follows the Roagna philosophy: ten days of fermentation in large wooden barrels with spontaneous yeasts, followed by 90 to 100 days of maceration on the skins – a maceration period that even many Barolo wines do not see. After around ten months of ageing in wooden and cement barrels, the wine is bottled unfiltered.

Bright ruby colour with purple reflections. The vintage reveals a fresh yet concentrated bouquet: juicy cherries, red plums, violet blossom and a hint of freshly crushed almonds. On the palate, it is firmer than the basic Dolcetto, with concise fruit, clear, present acidity and a dense, fine tannin that gives it exceptional balance. The Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba site is unmistakably characterised by its mineral backbone and noble texture – a serious Dolcetto that brings its terroir to the glass with aplomb and can develop over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

A captivating Pinot Nero with a poetic expression of the Langhe terroir: strictly selected grapes from organically farmed vineyards are vinified with the utmost care. After manual harvesting and fermentation, the wine matures for 18 months in tonneaux, which give it structure without masking its freshness. The ageing process combines depth with elegant finesse – an art that Vajra has mastered for many years.

New world meets old world. Impressive Sauvignon Bianco from higher-lying plots in the Langhe around Treiso and Trezzo Tinella, harvested cool and rigorously selected. The musts are fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel; the wine then remains on the fine lees for several months (with gentle stirring), without malolactic fermentation and without the use of wood – for maximum aromatic precision and a fine, chalky texture.

In the heart of Alba, nestled within the Roman city walls of ancient Alba Pompeia, lies a cantina that has been making history since 1881. Pio Cesare – founded by Cesare Pio, a man who believed in the potential of Nebbiolo at a time when others were still focussing on quantity. Five generations later, Federica Boffa is carrying on the legacy of her father Pio Boffa, who sadly passed away far too soon in 2021. Together with her cousin Cesare Benvenuto, she is responsible for one of the last producing wineries in the historic centre of Alba – a place where time seems to flow more slowly, where large oak barrels allow the wines to mature as they have done for over 140 years.

The vines are planted where the Piedmont slopes gently at Canelli and the Barbera grape can develop its depth. The name is reminiscent of Cesare Pavese, the great son of these hills – and his most famous work "La Luna e i Falò". Like the novel, this wine also carries a quiet melancholy, paired with expression, maturity and identity. Matured in barriques and large casks for around a year, this is a Barbera full of character and modern at the same time.

The single-varietal Croatina Pertichetta presents itself in a medium-deep ruby garnet. In the full bouquet we discover fleshy notes, clove, untanned leather and dark chocolate tones. On the palate, initially with a nice balance, crisp tannins take over in the middle course (when young), before the long finish with present, ripe sour cherry tones and a beguiling depth. Not a wine for everyday entertainment, but a complex, powerful and extremely serious red, which should ideally be treated with the necessary seriousness only in a few years - reward guaranteed! SUPERIORE.DE

Medium golden yellow in colour with bright reflections. The Chardonnay grapes come from selected plots in the Langhe, whose later harvest gives the wine aromatic depth and a fine melting flavour. In the cellar, the wine is carefully matured according to the Burgundian school: temperature-controlled fermentation, long maturation on the fine lees, a targeted proportion in wood to promote complexity and structure without overpowering the freshness.

Oudeis – nobody. When the cunning Odysseus outwitted the Cyclops Polyphemus, he gave it this name. Enrico Serafino's Alta Langa bears this name out of humility: no one is responsible for the complexity of this wine – only the terroir. A philosophical bow to the high altitudes of the Alta Langa, the Piedmontese plateau that Enrico Serafino has pioneered the Metodo Classico since 1991. The grapes – 85% Pinot Nero, 15% Chardonnay – come from vineyards between 300 and 550 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Mango, Trezza Tinella, Loazzolo, San Giorgio and Bubbio. After manual harvesting and gentle whole-cluster pressing, the must ferments in stainless steel, followed by six months of bâtonnage. The second fermentation and ageing on the lees takes place over 36 months in the historic underground cellars – protected from light, temperature-controlled, timeless.

A fascinating Pinot Nero with the structure of a Nebbiolo. Fine cherry flavour with well-dosed extract sweetness, plus rose petals, mint and some Asian herbal spice. The wine prances on the palate with elegant restraint, revealing its finesse and structure on the third sip at the latest and with a medium-bodied finish. This is a wine for Pinot fans as well as lovers of subtle, subtle styles - and clearly love at second sight. SUPERIORE.DE

The best plots around Monleale, from which the grapes for the Derthona Timorasso come, cover just 11 hectares. They are located in the Apennine and pre-Apennine hills of the Marca Obertenga, the soils contain mainly marl and clayey layers. The deep bouquet has green and yellow fruit notes, orange confit, graphite, mint and a hint of camomile. On the palate, it marches straight ahead with that certain exotic something, its pleasantly fresh acidity and fine tannin into a long finish with an attractive bitterness of citrus peel reminiscent of chinotto and a mineral vein. The 12-month contact during fermentation in stainless steel on the lees ensures that it gains in depth and complexity with each year of further bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

There is a poetic play on words behind this rare white wine: Pinner – born from PINot NERo, as if the name itself were a wink from the Cavallottos. On the north-eastern slopes of the Cru Vignolo, original Champagne clones of Pinot Nero have been rooted in chalky-clayey soils with veins of sand since 1972 – a geological rarity that gives this Blanc de Noirs its unmistakable minerality. The vinification is a balancing act between tradition and innovation: after the gentlest pneumatic pressing without skin contact, the must ferments for 45 days at a cool 16-18°C in stainless steel tanks. Nine months of sur lie ageing with daily bâtonnage create the creamy texture that distinguishes Pinner from simple white wines.

San Sebastiano. A small church south-west of Monforte d'Alba, surrounded by vineyards that flow gently down to the only natural lake in the Langhe. "Bricco Lago" – the hill by the lake. Here, on clay and limestone soils, in an area of unrivalled biodiversity, the Nebbiolo vines that produce Lucas and Elena's "Baby Barolo" take root. Plots planted in 1969 and 1995 – old vines that give depth and complexity. Monforte's ferrous character, its reddish colour, its spicy nose – can all be found here. However, Luca deliberately vinifies differently to his upcoming Barolos. Not whole-cluster fermentation, but whole berries – to avoid excessive vigour and preserve finesse. Five days of cold maceration, then 21 days of simple, traditional, non-invasive fermentation with minimal pumping over. After fermentation, the grape skins remain submerged in the wine for another five days to gently extract further flavours and silky tannins – an innovative technique for more complexity without bitterness. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Matured for one year in small barrels, then bottled in autumn.

Not far from the Cortese vineyards lies Libarna, an ancient Roman settlement. A bronze disc from the 1st century BC was found there – an astronomical calendar for measuring Roman cities. Today, this Libarna disc adorns the label of the "Poggio della Rupe" line and connects millennia: Wine was grown here even before the Romans. The Monterotondo comes from a single vineyard in the heart of Gavi, where gypsum-rich, sulphurous soils give the Cortese an unrivalled complexity. Thirty-five-year-old vines yield grapes for just 2,500 bottles. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures for six to seven months on the fine lees – an ageing process that gives it depth and structure without sacrificing freshness.

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.

Some wines are named after vineyards, others after grape varieties. This one bears the name of a person: Domenico Staropoli, known as Mimmo, who cultivated the vineyards of Le Piane for many years. When he died, Christoph Künzli dedicated this wine to him – to him, not as a sentimental gesture, but as a tribute to the quiet labour without which no great wine is made. The Mimmo is more than just a "little Boca". His Nebbiolo parcels come from the same plots, are vinified according to the same standards, and only after two years of barrel ageing does the tasting decide which parcels will become Boca and which will become Mimmo. The Nebbiolo is complemented by Croatina and Vespolina from century-old vines on Montalbano and Santuario. Twelve months in tonneau, then twelve months in large Slavonian vats – time that you can taste.

A clockwork that ticks once a year and strikes once a millennium – designed for 10,000 years. Brian Eno and a group of thinkers founded the Long Now Foundation in 1996 to broaden the view: away from the immediate and towards the long now. Giorgio Pelissero recognised this as the essence of his profession – because there is time in wine. In 1999, he acquired Cascina Tolino between Treiso and Neviglie, steep terrain divided by a municipal border: Only the Nebbiolo on the Treiso side is allowed to become Barbaresco. He combined the rest with Barbera to create perhaps the oldest assemblaggio in Piedmont – only rethought. Vinified separately, ten days of maceration for the Nebbiolo, up to twenty-five for the Barbera, then fifteen months in small oak barrels.

This wine bears the small print name Viola delle Viole, although its fruit comes from the Bricco delle Viole and Bricco Bertone vineyards, two sites with different soil types, one of which provides structure and the other aromatic purity. Opens with a dark, almost impenetrable appearance. Powerful aromas of blackberry jam and preserved cherries unfold on the nose. You can feel its warmth and richness and there is no way around it. It is a super-sized Barbera that goes one better in terms of extraction and intensity. The finish is almost sweet, followed by good acidity. It shows great aromatic perfection, length and a very accentuated style. SUPERIORE.DE

While Franciacorta has long enjoyed worldwide fame, a quiet revolution is taking place in the hills of the Alta Langa. Here, where the Piedmontese provinces of Cuneo, Alessandria and Asti stretch towards the Ligurian Apennines, the sparkling wine that impresses connoisseurs with its freshness, precision and mineral depth is produced at an altitude of up to 700 metres. Pecchenino, which has been in family hands since the late 18th century and is traditionally known for its great Dolcetto and Barolo, ventured into this small but fine DOCG in 2012 with impressive success – with impressive success. The name "Psea" refers to the village of Pezzea in the municipality of Bossolasco, where Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are rooted in chalky soils at an altitude of 700 metres. The cool climate with pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations enables optimal ripening while maintaining lively acidity – the freshness that makes Alta Langa so unique. The cuvée of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Nero first undergoes alcoholic fermentation in steel tanks before maturing for nine months in barriques. Bottling is followed by 36 months on the lees before the wine is disgorged as a pas dosé, i.e. without any dosage.