Northern Italy's Finest
Today, we’re delighted to present four exquisite reds from two of our most cherished producers, Roccheviberti and Vini Grillo Iole. These wines invite you to uncork a moment of warmth and elegance, perfect for savouring by the fire on a cold winter evening. Let their rich flavours transport you to the picturesque rolling hills of Northern Italy.
January may have ushered in grey skies, biting winds, and frosty days, but that’s all the more reason to indulge in a little luxury. After all, what better way to brighten winter’s chill than with something truly special?
Roccheviberti
From the heart of Piedmont, Claudio Viberti crafts reds of unparalleled purity and finesse. His wines shy away from the heavy oak influence often seen in the region, allowing the vibrant fruit and mineral complexity of the terroir to shine.
First, we have the 2020 Barberba, which has a fabulously alluring, fragrant bouquet, with a darker fruit profile of blackberry and black cherry fruits. This is seamlessly balanced and with a fresh vibrant finish. Next, we have the stunning 2020 Nebbiolo which rivals the quality of many domaine's top Barolos. It is Ruby red in the glass, with a lush nose of perfumed violets, rose petals, red fruits, herbaceous hints and a welcome backing of spice - a classic example of Claudio’s craftsmanship, approachable now yet built to age gracefully.
Vini Grillo Iole
Far to the northeast in Prepotto, Anna Muzzonlini and her family have made a name for themselves by championing native varietals and sustainable viticulture. Their wines embody elegance and expressiveness, showcasing the finest the Friuli region has to offer.
The 2019 Schioppettino di Prepotto is a masterpiece and a true benchmark for this varietal. Wonderfully alluring, the bouquet is fragrant and fruity, with notes of violets, ripe black and red berries laced with subtle hints of pepper and gentle spicey aromas reminiscent of cloves. Then, there’s the 2018 Refosco dal Peduncolo, a wine of remarkable structure and depth, bursting with wild cherry, dark berry, earthy spice, lightly toast notes & chocolate - tied together with Anna’s signature vbibrance and refinement.
These are wines that will warm your soul and brighten even the darkest of winter evenings. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of these domaines or ready to rekindle your love for Northern Italy’s finest, now is the time to create moments to savour and enjoy. After all, we all deserve a little treat this January. Cheers!
Northern Italy's Finest
Our ‘Northern Italy’s Finest’ mixed case is a 12 bottle mixed case containing 3x each of the following wines:
2020 Barbera d'Alba Supreriore - Roccheviberti - £28.20
2020 Langhe 'Nebbiolo' - Roccheviberti - £31.60
2019 Schioppettino di Prepotto- Vini Grillo Iole - £24.10
2018 Refosco dal Peduncolo - Vini Grillo Iole - £23.55
These are four exquisite reds from two of our most cherished producers, Roccheviberti and Vini Grillo Iole. These wines invite you to uncork a moment of warmth and elegance, perfect for savouring by the fire on a cold winter evening. Let their rich flavours transport you to the picturesque rolling hills of Northern Italy.
2020 Barbera
Made using grapes grown in Claudio’s ‘Vigna Lunga’ vineyard on the lower terraces of the same slope as the Dolcetto. At around a 250m elevation, the vines here are again around 20 years old on average. Fermented in temperature controlled steel tanks and aged for 12 months in a mix of large French oak barrels and much smaller oak barriques. This has resulted in a sumptuous Barbera that has a fabulously alluring, fragrant bouquet, with a darker fruit profile of black berry and black cherry fruits, seamlessly balanced and with a fresh vibrant finish. Awesome with salami, aged cheeses and grilled meats!
2020 Langhe 'Nebbiolo'
Claudio's 2020 Nebbiolo is absolutely stunning and rivals the quality of many domaine's top Barolos. This is a softer and more elegant expression of Nebbiolo than is often found in the region, and this is no bad thing. From limestone and clay-rich soils at over 350m in elevation, there is a delightful freshness and aromatic purity to the fruit here, which to complement the power under the bonnet. It has been aged in old french oak barrels for 18 months followed by further 6 months ageing in bottle. It is Ruby red in the glass, with a lush nose of perfumed violets, rose petals, red fruits, herbaceous hints and a welcome backing of spice. The palate is incredibly deep, rich and full of fruit and character, whilst always maintaining a really delicate nature. The tannins here are fine and the finish is long and pure, this is true craftsmanship. It will age and evolve wonderfully over the coming 5 years. A perfect accompaniment for a variety of rich cheeses and cold meat platters.
2019 Schioppettino di Prepotto
Anna’s 2019 Schioppettino di Prepotto is a beautiful ruby red in the glass with a delightful purity on the nose. Wonderfully alluring, the bouquet is fragrant and fruity, with notes of violets, ripe black and red berries laced with subtle hints of pepper and gentle spicey aromas reminiscent of cloves. The palate is marked by a fabulous intensity and freshness, with delineation and focus. The berry fruit from the nose delivers in spades, with mouth-wateringly ripe, crunchy red cherries, bright raspberries and blackcurrant notes. This is all wonderfully balanced with gentle spice and a great mineral line that adds a welcome levity and elegance to proceedings. Incredible refined there is almost a Burgundian finesse here! Elegant enough to go with a range of aperitifs and starters, whilst having amplestructure to support a wide variety of mains: from braised and roasted meat and game to smoked or spicy fish. The versatile 2019 Schioppettino will surprise you!
2018 Refosco dal Peduncolo
A deep and intense cherry/ ruby in the glass, this is yet another truly delicious native varietal wine from Anna. A delightfully pure and rich nose singing with wild blackberry, morello cherry, rasperberry and blackcurrants. This purity carries over to palate, which evokes juicy ripe fruit delivering on all of the promises of the nose. It has a fabulous concentration and intensity, but with real-life, vibrancy and refinement as well. The aging in oak barrels enriches it with spicy tertiary nuances and light notes of toasting and chocolate. Delicious cherry fruit and hints of dark chocolate. This is a little more structured than the Schioppettino, with juicy tannins, a medium-full body and wonderful persistence on the finish. A perfect partner to game dishes!