Wines

90 Points! Supple and vibrant, with aromatic orange blossom, peach and cantaloupe accents that glide on the finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

90 Points! A fresh and fruity white with aromas of sliced apples, fresh pears, lemons and peach pits. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a clean, bright palate. Juicy peach notes. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Pure and focused, offering violet, cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas and flavors. Shaped by vibrant acidity, this red persists with a lingering, resonant aftertaste. - Wine Spectator

This Barbera matures in 50hl steel tanks for 9 months, reaching a perfect balance of deep red fruits, perfume and pinpoint acidity. A joy to drink. Fruit is sourced exclusively form Monforte d'Alba...

91 Points! The 2020 Barbera d'Asti Montebruna is a plump and rich red with ripe berry notes, toasted spice, cinnamon and grilled Mediterranean herb. Despite the heft and brawn of this wine, the mouthfeel is pushed along by fresh acidity and a powerful 15% alcohol content. This is perfect companion to a meal heavy in cheese or cream. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

91 Points! Aromas of cherry chocolate, dark licorice, hints of bark and moist earth. Full-bodied with velvety, supple tannin structure and some chalky texture in the finish. Juicy and flavorful. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Part of the Scarrone Vineyard was replanted in 1989, and these younger vines give rise to the Vietti 2020 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone. This wine is also thick and darkly concentrated but not to the same degree as the version made with fruit from old vines. Indeed, it's fun to try these two bottles side by side. Dark fruit, baked plum and sweet spice give extra dimension and volume to this wine. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

92 Points! Apples and citrus peel on the nose, together with creamy minerals and floral notes, following through to a medium to full body with a silky texture and plenty of enduring fruit flavor. Sustainable. - James Suckling

La Staffa’s ‘Rincrocca’ is a selection of old Verdicchio vines, planted 1972. The site is planted with 5 different clones of Verdicchio, 2 of these clones are not available in the market anymore. Notes of almond, citrus, green apple, and herbs, with fresh acidity and a long finish. Delicious as a dry aperitif, or drink with most any seafood dish or roast chicken. 12 months in cement, 10 months on the lees, and 20 months in
bottle, less than 500 cases produced.

93 Points! The 2020 Barbera d’Alba Vigna Serraboella is bright, effusive and full of character. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal and pipe tobacco makes a strong first impression. Ripe, silky tannins add to the wine’s considerable appeal. The Serraboella is such a delicious wine. It spent 18 months in cask and neutral oak. - Antonio Galloni , Vinous Media

This is one of the most under the radar wines in all of Piedmont. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

From the importer: 'Mai sentito’ means ‘unheard of,’ and this sparkling Verdicchio, bottled before the second fermentation is finished, is certainly the first of its type I’ve had. It’s not some random hipster experiment, though, it’s an intentional, thoughtful, delicious bottle of wine. The Verdicchio variety supplies the green apple and herbal notes you’d expect, along with lovely fresh acidity; the maceration of the yeast in the wine as the fermentation finishes adds texture and background notes. Excellent aperitif, would pair perfectly with all manner of antipasti. Nice job, Riccardo.

From the importer: La Staffa's Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi is grown organically in limestone-rich clay soil at about 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, close to the altitude at Colle Stefano, which is about an hour away (and much closer as the crow flies). High altitude vineyards preserve acidity during the growing season, and La Staffa has almost the same lip-smacking, fresh, green-apple zing as Colle Stefano.

The grapes are picked into small boxes, pressed immediately, and fermented using indigenous yeasts at cool temperature in a mixture of stainless steel and cement tanks with temperature control for about 15 days. The wine is bottled in the spring following the vintage after aging on the fine lees for about six months. The wine in tank is left outside during the winter for a mild natural cold stabilization, and is roughly filtered (not sterile filtered). 

Verdicchio bears the color of pale straw. Distinctly aromatic (almond, citrus, green apple, herbal notes on both nose and palate); medium weight, fresh acidity; long finish. Makes a delicious dry aperitif, or drink it with most any seafood dish, seafood pastas, or roast chicken.

Hey, we are as picky about Oregon Pinot Blanc as we are about everything else. Yes, it is crisp, bright, and fresh, as they are expected to be. The surprise here was that there was fruit (apple, pear, citrus), texture, and some character as well. It is a small thing that makes a huge difference within the category. It's not a genre that typically moves us. Suffice it to say it's a big deal for us to actually talk about it. Can't remember the last time that happened. This one should make some friends.  As a bonus, it's also priced as an everyday go-to ($16.98).

92 Points #55 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2017! A mouthwatering Pinot Gris, with exotic notes of papaya and grated coconut accenting the peach, anise and almond blossom flavors. Sleek acidity focuses this through to the spicy, mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2029. - Wine Spectator

From the importer: Grown on rare limestone soil with heavy topsoil of loam and clay. The vines are 15 to 39 years old and do grow low yields around 45 to 65 hl per hectare. It is a curious fact, that most of the wines are located on today’s french side of the border but we are still allowed to produce german wine there as the family owns the vineyards for many generations already.

The grapes were hand harvested and destemmed. Before pressing, the grapes were macerating for 12 to 24 hours days to extract all the flavors and aromas from the grape-skins into the juice. The lightly pink-hued juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and 2400 liter oak-barrels and afterwards let on lees for almost 5 months after fermentation to gain even more flavor and complexity through the lees-contact.

95 Points! Run since 2021 by Ondine de la Feld, whose uncle Stefano Aymerich di Laconi acquired the 230ha estate in 1973 with his wife Beatrice Lucangeli, Tavignano has been certified organic since 2018. It lies at 300m near Cingoli on a hill that commands an all-round view of the surrounding area, close to the river Musone. Its best parcel of Verdicchio vines overlooks the river, the Latin for which, ‘Miscus’, gives its name to the wine. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, where it spends 12 months on its lees followed by a further 18 months in bottle. AH Very complete and complex Verdicchio, fine combination of crisp, fresh fruit, some nutty hints and a mineral undertow. Drinking well now, with the potential for several years yet. SB Herbaceous aromas, then citrus and mineral flavours. Very pure, clean and balanced. MG Fragrant, herbal pineapple and white peach aromas. Ripe and juicy with good freshness still, very clean and shapely. - Decanter Magazine