Bricco Ernesto Vino Bianco 2022

Opposite the legendary vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco lies Roero – an appellation comparatively overlooked by modern drinkers. It is here that Bricco Ernesto produces tiny quantities of Arneis and Nebbiolo that are some of Piemonte’s hidden gems.
 
In the hills above Priocca, sommelier-turned-winemaker Renato Vezza tends vines on Roero’s steepest slopes, owned by his family for four generations. Surrounded by native hazelnut trees and farmed without chemicals, these spectacular vineyards have had organic certification since 1990.
 
Building on traditional Piemontese techniques and his experience tasting some of the world’s great bottles, Renato makes elegant and finessed artisanal wines.
 
Arneis – a difficult-to-cultivate variety, typically neutral in style – is unusually layered and complex in Renato’s skilled hands. Fermented on skins in Slavonian barrels for 100 days, it spends 6 months in amphora. The honeyed stone fruit and bitter herb notes are balanced by mineral tension and grip.
 
The fine wines of Piemonte have never enjoyed so much attention – allocations are tight and prices are sky high. There is already considerable buzz around Bricco Ernesto among local sommeliers used to pouring bottles from Mascarello, Rinaldi, and Conterno.

A broad and flavourful skin-contact white, with unusual intensity for Arneis. Drink now or cellar for 5+ years.