Italian Red Wines - Piemonte

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

NEBBIOLO-BASED 

Cascina Vèngore Monte di Stefano Barolo, 2018 ($38.99) - Warmer recent vintages have improved the quality of Barolos from producers with less advantageous sites. Within that context, the 2018 vintage was a relatively cool growing season that yielded lighter wines that are fresh and elegant. The best wines clearly need more time, but wines like this are open-knit with moderate acidity, relatively light tannins, and expressive fruit and floral flavors. This example can be enjoyed now with perhaps one hour of decanting. The bouquet is quite good for an inexpensive Barolo, and the flavors build in the mouth. Lots of character! Pretty impressive!

G.D. Vajra Barolo “Albe,” 2020 ($39.99) - The new vintage of a terrific value Barolo. Youthful, but it provides great enjoyment with an hour or two of decanting. Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 94 “You can't beat this value. The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Albe is buttoned up with fresh primary fruit, and the wine does not have that hint of over-ripeness that is found across this vintage. The fruit is dark and savory, and there is a big mineral component to match, but the bouquet is nicely redolent of dark currant, plum, granite and a raspy dry note that brings crushed shale to mind. The tannins are quite impactful, and they give this wine extra runway for moderate bottle aging. Drink 2025-2038.” AND the Wine Spectator included it in their TOP 100 WINES of 2024: #9!!!!! 94 "Aldo Vaira took control of the family vineyards in 1968, when he was just 15 years old. Today, G.D. Vajra is one of the Piedmont region’s most recognized estates and comprises 150 acres, mostly around the commune of Barolo. Aldo and his wife, Milena, are joined by their children, Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro. Though there are three bottlings at the top of Vajra’s range, it’s Barolo Albe that best represents the winery’s elegant, high-elevation style, delivering consistent quality for an attractive price. Sourced from parcels ranging from 1,250 to 1,585 feet in elevation, the various lots macerated for one to three months, then aged 26 months in 4,000-, 5,000- and 7,500-liter Slavonian oak casks. This effusive red displays cherry, raspberry, rose, iron, juniper, and hay flavors, underscored by vibrant acidity. Harmonious and supple in texture, with a long aftertaste of red fruit, mineral and floral elements. Best from 2028 through 2049."

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo "Camilla," 2018 ($39.99) - Like the Vajra above, this is shockingly good for the price. Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 91 $65! "An ample 25,000-bottle release, the 2018 Barolo Camilla represents a blend of fruit from Raviole and Borzone (in Grinzane Cavour), Roere di Santa Maria (in La Morra), San Lorenzo di Verduno (in Verduno), Bricco Ambrogio (in Roddi) and lastly from Badarina (in Serralunga d'Alba). This is an ambitious, all-encompassing blend that is especially accessible in 2018. It offers a harmonious bouquet with wild berry and rose. The tannins are soft and yielding, and you can start enjoying this Barolo without waiting too much longer [written June, 2022]. Drink 2023-2036."

Fontanabianca Barbaresco, 2018 ($39.99) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 93 $50 - "The Fontanabianca 2018 Barbaresco is taut and elegant, showing the kind of bright primary fruit that should accompany this wine as it begins and completes its aging trajectory. The wine is very silky and fine, and it shows a nuanced texture that gives this bottle its competitive edge. Fruit comes from a 4.5-hectare site with south and southeast exposures and calcareous clay soils. Production is an ample 30,000 bottles. Fontanabianca is another estate that is part of the Green Experience for sustainable farming in Piedmont. Drink 2023-2038

Cascina Vèngore Monte di Stefano Barolo, 2018 ($39.99) - We are always happy to come across a quality Barolo at a reasonable price. This one starts with a modest but very pretty bouquet and builds in the mouth with more and more Nebbiolo character. Cascina Vèngore is a historic estate in Piedmont’s Terre Alfieri area. This ancient Roman estate consists of a natural amphitheater of vineyards and is blessed by the presence of a natural spring. The estate has 40 acres of vines and 25 of woods. Three young brothers: Luca, Alessio, and Daniele planted 60,000 new vines in 2012 and converted to organic farming in 2016 with no herbicides or chemical fertilizers.

Roagna Langhe Rosso, 2015 ($43.99) - Easily the equal of a comparably priced Barolo or Barbaresco, this is from Roagna's younger vines from both regions and is a testament to their very high standards in that this wonderful wine wasn't good enough for them to label as Barolo or Barbaresco. Impressive!

Giuseppe Ellena Barolo del Dommune di La Morra, 2019 ($45.99) - Wine Spectator: 90 "A dense, muscular red marked by cherry, plum, eucalyptus, and earth flavors. Packs generous fruit to match the grainy tannins, while lively acidity drives the long finish. Best 2027 through 2045. 1,400 cases made, 800 cases imported."

Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne, 2016 ($44.99) -  Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 93 "This is a blend of the five vineyard sites farmed by Damilano, and if you look at the single-vineyard wines in this portfolio, you see Brunate, Liste, Cerequio, Cannubi, and Raviole. The 2016 Barolo Lecinquevigne offers a 360-degree view of Barolo with pretty primary fruit backed by elegant tannins and mid-weight fruit fiber. The wine is a happy sum of its various parts, and as expected, you can't really make out the characteristics of any one unique growing site. That's exactly the philosophy behind a blended wine like Lecinquevigne. The wine ages in large oak casks for 24 months. Some 60,000 bottles were made, and you get good value here. Drink 2023-2040"

Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne, 2021 ($44.99) -  Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 93 "A blend of fruit from five MGA sites (Brunate, Liste, Cerequio, Cannubi and Raviole), this is an ample release of 70,000 bottles. The Damilano 2021 Barolo Lecinquevigne offers nice intensity and standard Nebbiolo complexity with dark fruit, cassis, spice, and toasted tobacco leaf. You do not taste the personality of any one site, but that's not the point. Aged in large botte, the wine is open-knit in texture and immediate. You can wait longer or pull the cork now. Drink 2025-37"

Azelia Barolo Luigi Scavino, 2019 ($49.99) - a phenomenal value from Luigi Scavino and a huge step up from the least expensive Barolos (which aren’t that much less expensive). Wine Advocate: 93 “The pretty bouquet is laced with light fruit, licorice, and lots of blue flower. The wine is mid-weight and lively, a nice expression of classic Nebbiolo that shows depth and elegance. It ferments with ambient yeasts and sees 40 days of extended maceration with a submerged cap. This is a blend of fruit from seven sites: Altenasso and Solanotto in Castiglione Falletto, a part of Cerretta, the younger part of Bricco Voghera where the vines are from 55 to 60 years old, part of San Rocco, and Cerrati and Broglio in Serralunga d’Alba. Drink 2024-40.”

Oddero Barolo, 2019 ($57.99) - Mariacristina Oddero and her children made an ambitious search for the best cru sites and overhauled the winery. She prizes elegance and weightlessness in her wines. Farming is organic. Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 95 "The 2019 Barolo opens to a lean appearance with a very vibrant Nebbiolo color that shines with dark ruby highlights. There are dried cherry and candied fruit aromas on the bouquet. Those fruit layers cede to light spice, lilac, and campfire ash. The beauty in this wine is the extreme balance achieved in this classic vintage. It delivers on all levels: intensity, length, and joy. The fruit represents a blend of four MGS sites: Bricco Chiesa and Capalot in La Morra, Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto, and Monvigliero in Verduno. Production is an ample 32,000 bottles. Drink 2025-2042"

Aurelio Settimo Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata, 2016 ($59.99) - A wine for the cellar! Growers in La Morra since 1943, the Settimo family sold their grapes until 1974, after which they vinified and bottled all their production. After Aurelio’s death in 2007, daughter Tiziana assumed management of the property and is now joined by her sons, Davide and Fabio. With almost 7.5 acres of vines in Rocche dell’Annunziata (facing south-southwest at 270 meters), they are the second largest owner of this cru, widely recognized as one of Barolo’s finest. This wine undergoes lengthy fermentation followed by 12 months of aging in concrete tanks and then 24 months in large, 10 to 15-year-old French and Austrian oak casks. This a classic, traditional expression that balances fine acidity and tannin with purity of fruit, supple texture, and aromatic complexity. Wine Spectator: 95 “Saturated with cherry, plum, coffee, and earth flavors, this red is fluid, yet has density and a solid structure with nervous tannins and terrific intensity and energy. Impeccably balanced and long, ending with grace and focus. Best from 2024 through 2045. 420 cases made, 100 cases imported.” Limited

Azienda Agricola Paitin Barbaresco Sori Paitin, 2019 ($62) - The Paitin winery, owned by the Pasquero-Elia family, was established in 1796 when Benedetto Elia purchased the farmhouse, wine cellar, and surrounding vineyards from Luigi Pelissero. Benedetto’s son Giuseppe acquired the underground cellar and extended their vineyard holdings to the current 17 hectares. Giovanni and Silvano Pasquero-Elia are currently running the winery, along with Giovanni’s son, Luca. “Sori Paitin” is a small sun-drenched parcel within the famed Serraboella Cru actually named after the Paitin estate! In Burgundy, Sori Paitin would be considered a Grand Cru.  Practicing organic and biodynamic. Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 95+ $70 “Opening to a luminous garnet color, the Paitin 2019 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is delicate and fresh, but the wine is not without its inner power and consistency. It plays its cards carefully, thanks to a slow-moving bouquet characterized by redcurrant and tart cherry. It gains power on the palate with polished tannins and tight structure. Give this bottle a few more years to unwind. 2025-42”

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo "Ambrogio," 2019 ($64.99) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 93 $100! "The Bruna Grimaldi 2019 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio (with 4,500 bottles made) boasts a very vibrant and lively garnet color that is slightly on the darker side of your standard Nebbiolo. This cru site in Roddi tends to make accessible Barolos, and you could say the same for this edition. The wild card, however, is the excellent 2019 vintage, which gives this wine more abundant fruit density and structure. Generally speaking, you get a bigger bolder wine this year.  Drink 2024-37"

Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana, 2019 ($99.99) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 94 "The 2019 Barolo Baudana offers good power and ripeness with sweet fruit flavors, dark cherry, spice and ferrous earth. These aromas are characteristic of this site in Serralunga d'Alba. The wine is silky and generous on the palate, with salty minerality on the close. On a scale of growing intensity, Baudana generally comes after the Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba and before the Barolo Cerretta in this portfolio of three wines.  Drink 2025-2043"

Luigi Baudana Barolo Ceretta, 2019 ($99.99) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 95 "The Luigi Baudana 2019 Barolo Cerretta is an open-knit and powerful expression of Nebbiolo from one of the best sites in Serralunga d'Alba. Cerretta is a large MGA vineyard to the north of the village, with Baudana on the hillside to the west and Prapò to the south. This wine offers volume and richness in terms of mouthfeel, with fleeting aromas of wild berry, iris, and crushed rose. Drink 2025-2045"

Luigi Baudana Barolo Ceretta, 2017 ($99.99) - Wine Spectator: 96 "This red boasts a beautiful balance between its cherry, strawberry, floral, eucalyptus, and mineral aromas and flavors. Supple and elegant, despite the resonant tannins and lively acidity that boost the lingering aftertaste, with fine length. Don't think about pulling the cork for five years [written 11/21]. Best from 2026 through 2048. 240 cases made."

Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, 2017 ($109.95) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 95+ $125 "The Elio Grasso 2017 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera shows us that deft hands are able to shape good results in a challenging vintage. This wine is balanced and polished with an array of smaller and more detailed aromas that we simply don't see in the majority of Barolo releases from this hot and dry vintage. The bouquet here cautiously unveils tiny berry fruit, underbrush, wild rose, lilac, rusty nail, and crushed stone. Nuanced and precise, this is one of a handful of 2017 releases that deserves special praise. Drink 2024-2042"

Ceretto Barolo Prapo, 2015 ($124.95) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 95+ $200 "The 2015 Barolo Prapò is a gorgeous expression of this vineyard site in Serralunga d'Alba, with an incredible sense of textural fiber that is so fine and tightly knit. The mouthfeel is extremely polished and silky. Like other Barolos from Ceretto, it almost seems a shame to distract attention from this craftsmanship with flavors from a heavy meal, and so it might be better to cellar it for a decade and then celebrate it with fine cheeses or pâté. Some 7,000 bottles were produced. Drink 2021-2045.

"No set of wines in this entire article on Barolo and Barbaresco has made a stronger impact on me than these. I am awestruck by the extreme quality, grace, and elegance presented here. I have no doubt that this is the strongest set of new Ceretto wines I have ever had the privilege to taste. All the wines are united by an extreme level of silkiness and spot-on tannic management. It is truly something exceptional. It's hard to choose a favorite, and all these wines—even the Prapò from heavier soils—deliver that extreme silkiness that caught my eye and won my heart."

Azelia Barolo “San Rocca,” Scavino, 2019 ($129.99) - From Luigi Scavino, the San Rocca is a world-class wine. Expensive, but worth it! It comes from 75-year-old vines on blue and gray clay, the oldest soil in Barolo. The bouquet is wonderfully exotic. Just a terrific wine and relatively forward! Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 94+ "San Rocco is a small MGA located on the northern side of Serralunga d'Alba with steep slopes that open toward Cerretta with clay and limestone. The 2019 Barolo San Rocco (with 7,300 bottles made) benefits from tighter space and a protected microclimate to produce powerful wines. However, this vintage certainly needs more time in bottle and is nowhere near expressing its full potential now [written August, 2023]. Drink 2025-2045." 

Aldo Conterno - This great producer makes some of Barolo’s best. 

Bussia, 2017 ($119.95) - Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): 92 “Shows a dark but busy quality of fruit that speaks to the power of this hot vintage. It slowly comes together to reveal broad layers of dark cherry, cassis, and plum. Some tannic tightness leads to sour berry. A bit awkward at this young stage, it needs a few more years of cellar age to flesh out and reach balance. 2023-38”

Bussia, 2019 ($119.95) - Wine Spectator: 95 “Rich and generous, this red delivers cherry, raspberry, rose and sweet spice aromas and flavors. Harmonious and charming, with bright acidity and beautifully integrated tannins, this firms up on the long, vanilla-tinged finish. Best from 2026 through 2045. 1,295 cases made, 680 cases imported. "

Cicala, 2017 ($199.95) - Wine Spectator: 95 $220 “A solid, powerful style, this expressive red is well-marked by new oak with plum, cherry, cigar box, menthol, and sun-kissed hay flavors. Balanced and lively, with refined tannins and a long, spice-infused finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported." Very limited! 

Colonnello, 2017 ($199.95) - Wine Spectator: 94 $220 “Offering plum, cherry, iron, eucalyptus, and black pepper aromas and flavors, this broad red has absorbed the oak treatment pretty well already with a dense matrix of tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and long, ending with elements of mineral and spice. Best from 2025 through 2043. 410 cases made, 50 cases imported. Wine Advocate (Larner): 94+ “Shows good focus, structure, and a sharper character. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit and plum, but it also shows a solid framing of iron ore and dark stony mineral. These give the wine greater lift and contoured edges. Not the first time that Colonnello is my favorite wine in this lineup, and I suspect it won’t be the last. 2025-40" Very limited!

OTHER 

Icardi Barbera d’Asti “Tabaren,” 2020 ($16.99) - Icardi is a wonderful Barbaresco and Barolo producer. They also make Barbera as a less expensive, everyday wine. Barbera has historically been known for high acidity and rusticity. The rusticity has often been tamed, as it is in this case, but the acidity is what makes these wines go so well with food. This is a fine, inexpensive version. Unlike their Surì di Mù Barbera d’Alba, this was fermented and aged in stainless steel and has an intensely fruity nose that features morello cherries. The fruit is quite ripe, and the wine is one of the few unoaked reds that work well. Certified organic! Claudio and Mariagrazia Pierino are the second-generation owners of this family operation. Tabaren (from the French “Tabarin”) was a venue used for theatrical productions, art, and dancing. The Pierinos playfully say, “We are all better dancers after a couple of glasses of wine.”

Costa Stefanino Barbera d’Alba, 2021 ($19.99) – We’re huge fans of Barbera, and this one is a delicious, juicy crowd-pleaser. The best Barberas are oak aged and expensive. Cheap ones are, well, cheap. The middle range is the sweet spot with high quality and reasonable. These are unoaked or lightly oaked. The Costa family’s 17-acre estate, founded in 1851, lies on a hilltop overlooking the village of Montá, west of the Tanaro River. This is the heart of the Roero, characterized by small, interweaving hills, yellow-ochre sandy soils full of marine fossils, and densely wooded areas dotted with vineyards. Winemaker Alessandro Costa cultivates the vineyards; his parents, Nino and Gemma, run the Azienda. The vineyards are within one mile of the newly built facility. They have adopted organic methods, using natural fertilizers, and no herbicides. The Barbera comes from 30-year-old, south-facing vineyards at an altitude of 920 to 1050 feet above sea level. Soils are calcareous and rich in clay. The wine ferments and ages 8 months in stainless steel.

Musso Barbera d’Alba, 2019 ($19.99) - From the producer of the outstanding Pora Barbaresco that we carry comes this VERY impressive Barbera. The vines are from Musso’s oldest planting, an 80-year-old block in Rio Sordo, within the Barbaresco DOC! Dark and concentrated in appearance with exuberant aromas of blackberry, spice, plum, and cherry cola, there’s fine depth of fruit and a lot of personality here. It’s surprisingly well-balanced; only at the very end do you get a little of the spicy tartness Barbera is known for. Perfect for pizza with sausage and broccoli! The winery was founded in the early 1900s by the great-grandfather of the current owner, Enologist Valter Musso, who graduated from the Scuola Enologica of Alba in 1983 and got a Bachelor's Degree in Enology in 1998. His parents, Margherita and Augusto, tend the 13 hectares of vineyards while his wife, Paola (an attorney), is in charge of the administration. The cellar is modern and equipped with the most advanced equipment.

Azienda Agricola Paitin Barbera d’Alba “Serra,” 2023 ($22.99) - Known for a stunning Barbaresco (we have the 2019), Paitin also produces a fabulous Barbera value. Just released, this wine will benefit from a few months in the bottle. We still have a few bottles of the 2022. Wine Advocate 90 $25 “Showing medium-plus richness, the Paitin 2023 Barbera d'Alba Serra offers the potency of the grape but manages an elegant and streamlined style. It opens to dark fruit, dried blueberry, and sweet potting soil. To the palate, the wine is short and to the mark. The 2023 vintage is quite subdued, but that's a quality to appreciate in Barbera.  Drink now through 2029.” The Paitin winery, owned by the Pasquero-Elia family, was established in 1796 when Benedetto Elia purchased the property from Luigi Pelissero. Many generations later, the winery and 42 acres of vineyards are run by Giovanni and Silvano Pasquero-Elia with Giovanni’s son, Luca. Serraboella is a Barbaresco cru on a particularly steep hill facing south-southwest and ranging from 920 to 1050 feet. The Barbera comes from the eastern part of the Serraboella cru.

Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Quartetto 2020 ($34.99) - We are great fans of Aldo Conterno wines from Piemonte. We carry their Langhe Nebbiolo, Barbera d’Alba, and several wonderful (and very expensive) Barolos. This is one of their least expensive wine and a terrific value. It’s a blend of four grapes; hence the name: Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah from several different vineyards in the Bussia cru (Monforte d’Alba). Harvesting is by hand. Fermentation is natural with 8-10 days of skin contact in stainless steel vats before being aged in oak casks for a few months. This is delicious with a “symphony” of aromas and flavors: ripe red cherries, plums, and blackberries intermingled with hints of violet and subtle earthy undertones. 

Wine Spectator: 92 $70!! “Cinnamon, vanilla, and a hint of coconut aromas and flavors lead off, offering black cherry, blackberry, and violet notes buried within. This is supple and vibrant with excellent balance. Drink now through 2030. 600 cases made, 340 cases imported.”

Aldo Conterno Barbera d’Alba Conca Tre Pile, 2018 ($41.99) - As nice as the Pio Cesare Barbera is, Aldo Conterno makes one of the very best Barberas, period. Shockingly, the new vintage came in at a lower price than the previous one. It hasn’t been reviewed yet, but it is very similar to the 2017. Drink now or age another year or two. Wine Advocate: 93 “The 2017 Barbera d'Alba Conca Tre Pile is piled high with dark fruit intensity, soft tannins, and a pinch of fresh acidity that breaks apart the wine’s rich fruit flavors. The bouquet offers black fruit, dried plum, spice, truffle-infused earth, and toasted hazelnut. 2020-25”