Wines

95 Points! Red volcanic ferrous soils with ample black basalt strewn amidst. Suits the later ripening Garganega, while screw cap promotes the freshness sought at this address. 6 ha. 60-70 year vines on a cooler site, rising to the creme of top quality sites as the climate warms. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same sassy vitality. While the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, this is a complex wine demanding food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle, apricot pith, a whiff of dried mango and plenty of smoky, pungent mineral grip, with dutiful freshness towing tenacious length. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Ripe fruit on the nose, ranging from pineapple to gooseberry and a hint of snowberry. Medium-bodied with a gentle honeyed edge vying with stony minerals that color the finish. A sturdy Monte Grande. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Offers a rich note of petrol on the nose, which underscores the palate's flavors of blood orange, pink grapefruit granita, blanched almond and white blossoms. This wine's generous, expressive profile is reined in nicely by well-honed acidity and a tang of salinity on the finish. Drink now through 2031. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! A fragrant, peachy nose with hints of white flowers and almonds. Medium-bodied with a relaxed, fruity palate and some mineral structure. Drink now. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

“Our Arneis wants to show the freshness and crispiness of this variety,” Giovanna says. “It has unique herbaceous aromatics (sage, thyme, rosemary) with white flowers (orange blossoms) and is pure, fresh, and vertical with good acidity and a long finish.”

Giovanna explained that Arneis went through some troubled times a few decades ago and got a bad rap. When bubbles in white wine became interesting, many growers in the Langhe planted Arneis in unfavorable locations: bottom of hills, north faces—essentially where other grapes wouldn’t ripen either. Whatever made it past the frost season had to contend with mildew feasting on the vine’s chlorophyll and then tainting the tight, fat-berried Arneis clusters. The grapes were picked when green or yellow, perfect for zippy, minerally white wine, no? Not with Arneis. It reaches its highest level when golden, otherwise it remains neutral, boring and austere.

These days, respect has returned to this grape and it’s time for it to reach its potential. Changes in approach, like keeping the vines above 250m to stave off frost, and better expositions with fewer facing directly north but rather more toward southerly exposures, or due east or west, or slightly tilted toward the north, like Brandini’s parcel in Canale facing northeast that’s fully exposed to the sun at an altitude of 350m. Here, the wind contact with the grapes, the early morning sun and good canopy management keeps mildew at bay while the Bagnascos wait patiently for the grapes to go golden—a difficult discipline for a family driven by high acid wines.