REGION: Piedmont

The Ferrandos painstakingly cultivate their Nebbiolo vineyards on the mountainside terroir of Carema, in an amphitheater that sits in the very shadows of Monte Bianco. Their other vineyard holdings are lower in altitude, on the plains and hills of the Canavese region.

Established in the early 1950s, the Luigi Pira estate encompasses 12 hectares of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Luigi’s son Giampaolo manages the estate’s holdings in the three most prestigious crus of the Serralunga commune: Margheria, Marenca and Vignarionda.

Founded by Luigi Voghera in 1974 and today run by Luigi’s son Livio, the estate is 22 hectares in Neive, Barbaresco, Treiso and Alba. Classically-styled Barbaresco with long maceration on the skins and aging in large oak cask. Hands down some of the greatest value in all of Barbaresco!

Brothers Roberto and Massimo Damonte have labored for nearly half a century in Roero, organically farming over 40 hectares of Arneis, Nebbiolo and Barbera. Vineyards include Renesio, believed to be the birthplace of Arneis, and Trinità, whose sandy soils give gorgeous perfume to Nebbiolo.

The Clerico family has worked the land in Lessona since the 1700s. In fact, the Clerico estate, under the direction of Sandrino Clerico (Massimo’s father), was one of the three original vineyards awarded the right to the Lessona appellation when it was first created in 1976.

Stefano Massone’s Piemonte vineyards are located in the warmer southeastern part of the region in Gavi, where the Cortese grape achieves its maximum expression. Rigorous vineyard management and low yields produce Cortese and Barbera of high quality, as practiced at Massone but few other estates.