Piedmont

Gavi is a wonderfully, mineral-driven white wine made in and around the eponymous township in south east Piemonte. The only difference between 'Gavi DOCG' and 'Gavi di Gavi DOCG' is that the latter can only be made of fruit grown within the borders of the Commune or township.  Other than that, they're identical wines and, more importantly, utterly delicious!  With its characteristic greenish tinge and notes of acacia flowers and green apple, it delivers a mineral-laden yet fruity wine with a bitter almond finish that pairs beautifully with all manner of dishes.

A lovely wine crafted mainly from Barbera but also with Dolcetto and Nebbiolo. Made with temperature controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts and 10 to 15 days maceration exclusively in stainless steel tanks. Each component is vinified separately and then blended before bottling, based on the vintage.

This is an elegant medium to light bodied wine with a a fruit forward core balanced by lovely savoury elements and racy acidity.

Barbera is the juicy popular everyday red wine from Piemonte in north west Italy but it can also be complex, layered and succulently good, like this great example. Aromas of spice and fresh cedar lead into a full bodied, rewardingly interesting and smooth Italian red.

100% Freisa from hillside sites of Helvetian soils with clayey sediments, blue marl and tuff at around 300 metres.

Traditional fermentation with skin contact and natural yeasts for approximately 8 days in stainless steel tanks prior to aging for six months in stainless steel and six months in Slavonian oak barrels - subsequent refinement in bottle

An intense ruby red colour with intense spicy aroma and flavours (red cherry, black cherry, raspberry, grilled red plum, violet, rose, and cocoa bean) with good body and tannins.

Outstanding savoury expression of Nebbiolo from the mountainous village of Carema, bordering Valle d'Aosta in north west Italy. Red fruit notes underpin the powerful but silky tannins and the long spicy finish is complex, rewarding and sensationally statuesque. A commanding wine.

Small is never a word to use when describing any wine made from the Nebbiolo grape variety but it does fit aptly for Carema DOC, one of the greatest wines to pass my lips so far this year. Not that it is small in taste or lacks for flavour (far from it) but the volumes made are minuscule compared to other regions. Only 55 thousand bottles are produced.
The producer is a quality focussed wine cooperative, which makes sense, given that Carema is a small village and the area can only produce limited volumes of Nebbiolo each year. Cantina dei Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema is renowned for producing excellent wines and this is an excellent example.

* Carema was one of first wines from Piedmont to attain Controlled Designation of Origin status when it was awarded DOC in July 1967.

Lessona is a small area devoted to a big wine; Nebbiolo. Full bodied, commandingly well structured and savoury in taste, this is a blend of 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina 15% made from grapes grown in Upper Piedmont in the historic hills of Lessona township. Wine has been made here since 1671 and the sandy soils are considered favourite for producing top quality Nebbiolo, such as this great wine. 

The vines are old, the wine is young and the aging potential is long; 30 years and then some. 

Delicate but powerful full bodied red made from Nebbiolo grown in the mountains in north west Italy. This is a stunning wine made in small volumes and imported in even lower volumes. 

If you love Italian wines, this is a must buy.

It takes a fair bit of work to create a Pinot Grigio as complex, rewardingly delicious and layered as this one from the northern Italian wine region of the Veneto. Dry with intense flavours of lemon pith, red apples and hints of saltiness, this wine makes an outstanding match with salads and seafoods and is a great aperitif on its own. 

Hand picked grapes were gently pressed and given temperature controlled fermentation with wild yeast. The finished wine was aged for three months pre release. 

An outstanding Pinot Grigio.

100% Nebbiolo from the commune of Castiglione Falletto where the vines have an average age of between 35 to 50 years and grow at an altitude of 250 to 300 metres on calcareous marl soils facing south west. Vinification is in stainless steel and aging in traditional oak casks. 

Barbera is the juicy popular everyday red wine from Piemonte in north west Italy but it can also be complex, layered and succulently good, like this great example. Aromas of spice and fresh cedar lead into a full bodied, rewardingly interesting and smooth Italian red.

97 points Jeb Dunnuck

"From the southwest facing amphitheater of Lazzarito in Serralunga d’Alba the 2017 Barolo Lazzarito was aged for 30 months in a combination of large oak casks and barrique. The nose is layered with elegant spice and floral notes of cedar, red plum, and brushed leather. There is incredible balance within its structure, which has deceptive ease for early drinking. Hold 3-5 years or drink 2023-2046."

96 points James Suckling

"This is very chewy and powerful with lots of velvety tannins that are firm and intense. It’s full and flavorful with strawberries and tar. Bark undertones. Flavorful finish. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024."

95 points Vinous, Antonio Galloni

"Vietti's 2017 Barolo Lazzarito is absolutely gorgeous. Whatever the challenges of the growing season, they appear to have been no problem here. More than anything else, the Lazzarito impresses with its magnificent depth and stature. Super-ripe red fruit, white pepper, mint, tobacco, cured meat, spice and rose petal open gradually with time in the glass. I would not be in a rush to open bottles anytime soon. The Lazzarito has been one of the most improved wines at Vietti for a number of years. The 2017 is so captivating." Drink 2025 - 2042

The grapes are selected from the single vineyard Scarrone in Castiglione Falletto and spends 18 months between big oak barrels and barriques before being bottled unfiltered.

Ruby purple in colour with intense aromas of ripe red and black cherries, leading to a refreshing palate with high acidity, rich tannins, and a full body. Complex, integrated and with a long lingering finish.

Deeply rewarding Nebbiolo made from the Langhe hills in Piemonte, north west Italy. This is a richly fruited, dry wine with dark berries and cherry flavours leading into licorice notes. A lovely wine, new in store.

“A food friendly and organic wine, the 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo exhibits a medium dark color and concentration, which is a sign of this vintage that tended to produce very rich fruit. Cassis and cherry segue to black licorice and crushed stone. Fruit from this wine comes from various parts of the greater Bricco Boschis MGA.”
— 92 Points, Monica Larner, RobertParker.com

Beautiful commanding northern Italian white blend of Chardonnay and Arneis. This interesting combo of popular Chardonnay with the crisp white grape Arneis (indigenous to norther Italy) has present and power as well as citrusy flavours and appeal. A lovely bold dry white wine. Serve in your largest glasses to enjoy at its best.