Piedmont

One of the great Nebbiolos made from grapes grown in the Langhe hills in Piemonte, whose name means foot of the mountains and aptly represents the sometimes very cool climate in this otherwise warm growing region. This wine offers outstanding value and highlights the delicious line of flavour that characterises the Nebbiolo grape. Red fruit and vibrant acidity balance the surprisingly staunch tannin structure of the wine. It's made by Produttori del Barbaresco, which was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation (itself nearly 700 hectares).

This wine is 100% Nebbiolo grown on various vineyards in within the appellation and fermented in concrete tanks at 28?C with 20 days on the skins, pumping over twice a day and five months in large oak barrels. It's a shorter and slightly cooler fermentation than the single vineyard wines receive which results in a smoother, softer, more approachable wine in its youth. It drinks well now and can age for up to five years.

A Prosecco is a prosecco, right? Well, yes, but this one has a little bit of that next level dry taste and intensity about it, while retaining fresh, crisp, citrusy notes too. 

Highly appealing and super refreshing. Top value sparkling wine buying. Certified Organic.

Barbaresco is now seen as being on a par with Barolo, as it should be, and this is a great example. The Rocca family originates in Barbaresco and Bruno Rocca took over the family business when his father died in 1978, moving quality up several notches to ensure that everything made by the family would be produced in bottle.

The family owns 15 hectares of vines and Bruno has something of a reputation for being a modernist, opting for French oak and shorter maturation times of 12 to 16 months. 

The wines retain their distinctive stylistic Italianesque stature, as this beautiful Barbaresco shows. 

100% Arneis from the Roero Arneis DOCG

The grapes are selected from vineyards located in the middle of the Roero region, in Santo Stefano Roero. The vineyards are approximately 25 years old and are planted with 4.500-5.000 vines per hectare. Harvest starts around mid-September and the grapes are first pressed and then clarified. Alcoholic fermentation occurs in stainless steel autoclave at lower temperature (14-16?C, 57-60? F) to preserve some natural CO2 from the fermentation.

The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation to preserve acidity and freshness and is held in stainless steel tanks on fine lees until bottling.

Description: Pale straw yellow color with fresh floral, citrus and melon aromas with almond hints. An unoaked, dry, medium bodied white wine with crisp acidity, the Arneis is well-balanced, elegant wine with good complexity and a lingering finish.

Food Pairings: As an aperitif with light hors d?oeuvres, crudit?s, seafood, salads, light soups, simply prepared veal, pork, chicken and creamy cheese.

This is a stellar wine from one of Piemonte's great producers, the Gaja family, which bought two vineyards in Barolo 1995 from a family named Gromi. The name of the wine, Da Gromis, is Italian for 'at home with the Gromis family'. This wine is made from two vineyards, one in Serralunga and one in La Morra. Grapes from each are fermented separately then aged for 12 months in oak, then blended and aged for a further 18 months in large oak.

97 Points, James Suckling 

"Very floral with lavender, violets and dark fruits. Medium to full bodied with tannins that build on the palate. Very long and intense. Transparent fruit and evident terror."

94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"The 2017 Barolo Conca is laced with the essence of dark cherry, menthol, licorice, lavender, cloves and leather. Ample and deep, yet also super-classic, the 2017 Conca is incredibly harmonious in the early going. Even in this warm, dry vintage, the Conca is one of the most transparent, classic Ratti Barolos I have tasted in some time."

93 Points, Monica Larner, RobertParker.com

"With fruit from La Morra where this historic winery is located, the Renato Ratti 2017 Barolo Conca is balanced and quite elegant, showing no overt signs of ripeness that could be expected of this hot and dry vintage. This bottle circumnavigates those hot-vintage pitfalls with graceful coordination. Wild cherry, crushed flowers, smoke, tart and crushed flint all emerge from the bouquet. The wine shows sweet fruit, but there is an equally measured point of salinity to balance it out. If anything, the mouthfeel in 2017 is a bit drier compared to past vintages."

93 Points, Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"Blue flower, botanical herb and French oak aromas come to the forefront. The full-bodied, elegantly structured palate offers dried cherry, pomegranate, licorice and crushed mint framed in taut, close-grained tannins. A mineral note evoking saline lingers on the firm finish."

Elegance, power and structure with layers of mushroom, dried porcini and earthy depths of flavour thanks to the great Nebbiolo grape, which is the heart and soul of Barolo - one of Italy's greatest reds. 

96 Points, James Suckling

"This is so perfumed and beautiful with cherries, strawberries and dried flowers that follow through to a medium to full body with firm, fine tannins and a long, energetic finish. All about length and finesse."

94 Points, Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"Camphor, pressed rose and oak-driven spice aromas come to the forefront. The smooth, full-bodied palate features spiced cranberry, dried cherry, licorice and coffee bean framed in tightly wound, fine-grained tannins that clench the close. Drink 2025?2032."

92 Points, Monica Larner, RobertParker.com

"Although it is not an official MGA vineyard designation, the Marcenasco vineyard is located directly under the Ratti family winery and is the site most historically linked to the legacy of this estate. The Renato Ratti 2017 Barolo Marcenasco is balanced and fine with a long and polished sensation."

92 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"The 2017 Barolo Marcenasco is a very pretty, elegant wine. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint, cinnamon and orange peel give this effusive, inviting Barolo tons of aromatic presence. This gracious, refined Barolo will drink well right out of the gate. Tasting it reminds me of the days I often drank this bottling when it was what my bank account allowed."

Impressive savoury Italian red with dark smoky flavours and fabulous complexity from traditional winemaking; long fermentation and maceration in oak fermenters known as tini, where fermentation takes place around 30?C followed by ageing in large Slavonian oak casks for up to 30 months. 

A refined Barolo from a family owned winery in north west Italy's great Piemonte region. Lots of cru fruit goes into this humble Barolo, which has a staggering potential to develop for a wine of this price. It will delight just as well in the nearer term.

Deep, savory and wonderfully complex, Margheria Barolo offers up a compelling mix of red/purplish fruit, sage, menthol, licorice, dried flowers, graphite and melted road tar. Muscular tannins wrap it all together. The 2019 vintage is a dark and  impressive wine from one of the world's greatest wine regions, Piemonte in north west Italy. 

What the critics say...
?A shade deeper than their classic Barolo of the same vintage. Serious and notably deep, peppery nose with savoury, minerally notes but still a little closed on the fruit.With aeration it?s more aromatic and fruit-driven, with raspberry notes. Cool climate in character. Juicy and energetic on the palate with firm muscular structure that demands more time. Drink 2027-2042?

Designation: Barolo D.O.C.G.

Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)

Vineyard: The grapes for this wine are sourced from the single vineyard Lazzarito in Serralunga d’Alba. Lazzarito is a wonderful natural amphitheater facing southwest, at an altitude of 260 – 390 meters a.s.l., with a clayey and calcareous soil. Vietti’s property in this vineyard stretches for about 2 hectares. The grapevines have an average age of 40 years. They are planted using the Guyot trellis system with about 4,500 plants per hectare.

Winemaking: Hand-picked on September 29th, 2018, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent about four weeks in contact with their skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood.

Ageing: The wine has been aged for 30 months in large oak casks and, only a small amount, in barriques. It was bottled without filtration.

Description: Deep ruby red colour with garnet nuances. Fascinating and deep on the nose. Notes of hay, cut grass, tobacco, white pepper and a hint of mint. Robust, muscular on the palate, with a taut and mineral finish. The tannins are typical of Serralunga: angular, austere and very deep. Appealing long lingering sweetness on the finish.

Food pairings: Game, red meats, seasoned cheeses.

Pora is located in a warm and fertile site on a beautiful hillside with west and south exposures nearer to the valley floor. The resulting style is generous with ripe velvety tannins and a certain smoothness.

We have secured small volumes of this age worthy, complex Barbaresco, which comes from the Pora Vineyard, one of nine single vineyard cru Barbarescos made only the best vintages by Produttori del Barbaresco. This wine is full bodied, bone dry and super concentrated with earthy, mushroom aromas tempered by rose petals and delicate red floral aromas. It's produced by one of Italy's and the world's highest quality minded wine cooperatives, which has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 of the nearly 700 hectares in this appellation in Piemonte, north west Italy.

This highly respected winery cooperative was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation, which means they own approximately a seventh of the appellation. The single vineyard wines, such as this one, are only made in highly rated vintages (all of the grapes go into a blend in other years) and released after four years maturation in the riserva programme. 

All single vineyard cru wines from Produttori del Barbaresco are fermented at 30?C and given 32 days of skin contact time before being pressed in large oak barrels for 36 months of maturation in wood followed by a further nine months aging in bottle, prior to release. 

Fast facts on Barbaresco

Barbaresco as an appellation was created in 1894

Barbaresco was given DOCG status in 1980

This is a small wine production area with approximately 700 hectares of vineyards registered to make Barbaresco ? which must be 100% Nebbiolo and made within the same sub region in which the grapes are grown. 

Rio Sordo is famous for its noble rusticity and silky quality in the mouth thanks to lower calcium levels in the soils of this vineyard. The wine develops gamey mushroom qualities over time that scream out for it to be served with a decent roast beast.

Rio Sordo is one of the great red wines of Italy and is made entirely from the great structured red grape, Nebbiolo; exceptional in taste, complexity and its ability to age for at least a decade, evolving into a silky delicious wine over this time. It's made by the Produttori del Barbaresco. This highly respected winery cooperative was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation, which means they own approximately a seventh of the appellation. The single vineyard wines, such as this one, are only made in highly rated vintages (all of the grapes go into a blend in other years) and released after four years maturation in the riserva programme. 

All single vineyard cru wines from Produttori del Barbaresco are fermented at 30?C and given 32 days of skin contact time before being pressed in large oak barrels for 36 months of maturation in wood followed by a further nine months aging in bottle, prior to release. 

Fast facts on Barbaresco

Barbaresco as an appellation was created in 1894

Barbaresco was given DOCG status in 1980

This is a small wine production area with approximately 700 hectares of vineyards registered to make Barbaresco ? which must be 100% Nebbiolo and made within the same sub region in which the grapes are grown.