Grapes: Nebbiolo + Arneis
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Vintage: 2023
Viticulture: Sustainable
Soils: Clay
Vinification: The Arneis grapes are destemmed and pressed gently to ensure preservation of aromatics before beginning fermentation at a controlled temperature. The Nebbiolo grapes are harvested two weeks later, at which point they are also destemmed and pressed gently. The cap of the Arneis tank—complete with skins, seeds, and actively fermenting must—is then added to the Nebbiolo. Fermented under temperature control and daily pumpover, the wine spends 8-10 days on the skins and then completes malolactic fermentation in stainless-steel tanks.
Aging: After completing fermentation, the wine ages for 2 months in large Slavonian botte followed by at least 3 months in bottle prior to release.
Notes from the Importer: A stone’s throw from the village center of Barbaresco, the winery was established by Giovanni Giordano in the 1930s during a time of profound crisis in the Italian wine world. After a period of growing and selling grapes, Giovanni’s son, Luigi, made the bold decision to vinify his own fruit, bottling the first wine under his own label in 1958. For an independent grower like Luigi to bottle his own wine at a time when plans to establish an official appellation in Barbaresco were only in their infancy was nearly unthinkable. Today’s winery remains a spirited family effort, driven by the shared vision of Luigi himself, his daughter Laura, and his grandson Matteo. Together, they produce timeless wines from vineyards planted in some of Barbaresco’s most prestigious crus, including Asili and Montestefano. Another Barbaresco bottling from the cru of Cavanna showcases the winery’s elegant, hands-off style of winemaking and represents the only single-vineyard bottling of its kind.
