Let us introduce you to one of our favourite producers from Valtellina in the far north of Italy - So far north in fact it's only a hop, skip and jump to the Swiss border!
Rainoldi is a fourth generation family wine business that was founded amid a climate of poverty and emigration in the 1920s, when current owner Aldo’s great grand-father diversified his business away from cultivating cereal to that of making wine.
In the second half of the 1950s, the growth in quality began with the purchase of grapes instead of wine, just as the sale of wine in bottles replaced that in chestnut barrels. This phase coincided with expanison into foreign markets: not only Lombardy and Switzerland, but also the United States, Japan, and Northern Europe, thanks to a wider and more differentiated range of wines.
At the end of the Nineties, after completing his studies in viticulture and oenology, Aldo Rainoldi joined the company to continue the family tradition. His aim was to combine qualitative growth with respect for the environment, leading the company into the next generation.
Aldo and Michela Rainoldi act as the grandparents of the region, providing assistance to a growing range of young producers keen to channel the great potential of Valtellina - this is a rare region that shows solidarity amongst producers to push overall quality higher. Practicing organic, non-interventionist farming coupled with aging in traditional large Slavonian oak, this 100 year old winery is the region’s vanguard of quality. The rugged south face of the Alps along the border with Switzerland provides a remarkable backdrop for their operation which produces wines that are honest, pure and of the highest order.
To help you discover the Nebbiolo-based delights of Valtellina, we have put together a cracking intro pack of our favourite Rainoldi wines. Vinified in the traditional method Rainoldi’s Brut Rosé illustrates the beauty of bubbly Nebbiolo with poise and detail, undergoing many years on lees. ‘Alpi Retiche’ is a smashing entry level while the humble Rosso showcases Valtellina, walking a line between smokey, savoury alpine herbs and a core of delicious little red fruits. Their Inferno Superiore showcases the rocky appellation with ripeness, tobacco and wet stone minerality. The sublime Sassella Superiore Riserva is a pinnacle of the region, spending two years in cask and one in bottle before release. It is elegantly intense and loaded with strawberry, baking spice and violet.
Shop the Pack or read more about the Valtellina region here.
]]>Before the industrial revolution however, it was a deeply wine oriented area with its hillsides covered in vineyards of local grapes like Barbera, Grignolino, Dolcetto and Freisa. The Crotin family recalls this history, planting and vinifying these traditional grape varieties with terrific results.
Production at Crotin is primarily controlled by brothers Federico (agronomist) and Marcello (wine maker). Of note is the involvement of Marcello’s former classmate, Cristiano Garella, a brilliant young consultant gathering quite a name for rendering local Piemontese grapes with honesty and transparency. With his involvement the wines of Crotin ooze authenticity and drinkability; think vibrant, fresh Barbera (no oak, the way we like it) and a pretty, bitter and lithe Grignolino that is Piedmont in a glass. Soils are a classic combination of clay, limestone and sand - much like the nearby Langhe. At this stage the project is very small with single hectares of Barbera and Grignolino yielding less than 6000 bottles each per vintage.
Ever tried Freisa? Ever tried sparkling Freisa? Crotin's rare version is very much a wine person’s wine. Produced using the tank method, it is searingly dry with razor sharp focus and purity. Enjoy it as an aperitif or match it to a red fruited dessert. But whatever you do, don’t drink it too cold…
Explore the wines of Crotin 1897 through our specially curated pack.
]]>From our years of working in the international world of wine, we have come to be particulalry enamoured of Nebbiolo; especially Nebbiolo grown in little-known regions in the north west of Italy. It is a fascinating grape and yields some of the World's finest, most ethereal wines.
This royal Italian grape variety produces the ‘iron glove’ of wine. It is light in colour, has intoxicatingly pretty aromatics yet when you taste it you are greeted with sporty acidity and firm tannin. A beguiling combination and addictive if you ask us!
The best examples of this fussy cultivar are to be found almost exclusively in its homelands of Piedmont and Lombardy in the north western corner of Italy. Areas like Barolo and Barbaresco, Gattinara in Alto Piemonte and Valtellina, which borders Switzerland, are the best known. Having said that, good wines are now being made in certain cooler parts of Australia, which is encouraging to see.
Nebbiolo and it’s tannic, acid driven relatives (Freisa, Vespolina, Grignolino) are all worthy of a lot of your drinking attention. They are deeply historical, fragrantly heady, fantastic with food and age incredibly well. We encourage you to dig further - Follow this link to our in depth article exploring Nebbiolo and the rare places it thrives.
]]>We are due to receive Australia's allotment of the 2017 vintage by Cantine Garrone, one of Valli Ossolane's star producers, in November this year. To take advantage of pre-arrival pricing, check out the wines via the link below and place an order to secure your selection.
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