Philine Isabelle Barolo 'Preda' (Pleasure Label) 2020

Limited availability – max. 1 bottle per customer

Of all the young winemakers we have met in recent years, Philine Isabelle Dienger may well be the most impressive. Since relocating to Piedmont to start her own micro-project in 2019, she has drawn upon the best traditional and modern techniques to produce an array of exceptional wines. Now the excitement has gone up another level with the debut vintage of Philine’s long-awaited Barolo.

Drawing inspiration from Japanese craftsmanship – specifically the idea that masterworks are made up of countless tiny, seemingly inconsequential decisions – Philine makes a range of wines that are complex and captivating in equal measure. The Chardonnay is tense but generous, while her reds from Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo are benchmark examples of Piemonte’s red varieties.

The Barolo comes from the celebrated ‘Preda’ vineyard, where Philine applies innovative pruning methods and progressive farming techniques like tressage, the highly skilled practice of braiding rather than cutting the vine canopy, to grow minuscule amounts of perfectly ripe fruit. One of the most accomplished Barolos we’ve tasted, it explodes from the glass with beautifully pure red berry fruit alongside the ethereal tar and rose petal characters typical of the best Nebbiolos.

Delicious now but promising brilliant ageing potential, Philine has bottled part of the production exclusively for Shrine to the Vine with a limited-edition label shot by Noble Rot photographer Ben McMahon. 

“Ample and layered with terrific depth. Spice, dried flowers, liquorice, menthol, and dried herbs all run through this mid-weight, beautifully resonant Barolo.” 94 Points, Vinous