Giovanni Almondo Roero Nebbiolo 2021

Roero sits across the Tanaro River from Barolo and Barbaresco and makes white wine from a local variety called Arneis along with red wine from Nebbiolo under the zone’s DOCG regulations.

Roero is a family name dating back to the middle ages when they were a powerful banking family but the important stuff defining Roero happened long before the Roero family arrived on the scene. The domed, undulating hills of Roero, are distinct from the long ridges of Langhe across the Tanaro river. Geologically these two sides of the river are distinct as well. About 100,000 years ago the Tanaro changed course from joining the Po river just south of Turin to its position about 50 miles east of that point today. This activity formed the domed rolling hills of Roero. Millions of years prior to the river’s course change the region was part of a sea known as the Golfo Padano which created the sand and silt dominated soils of the region.

The Almondo family has lived in the town of Montà on the norther edge of Piedmont’s Roero for 600 years. The property is now farmed and operated by Domenico Almondo with his sons Federico & Stefano. As Irene eloquently wrote in the August wine club: This area has long been known for grape growing alongside asparagus, peaches, and strawberries. Wooded lands abut vineyard land making Montà a polyculture in contrast to the uninterrupted patchwork of connecting vineyards that form the monoculture of Langhe. The combination of a rich biodiversity, balanced mineral rich soils, dry growing conditions with sufficient winter precipitation make this an ideal environment for the organic farming Az. Ag. Giovanni Almondo practices today.

Giovanni Almondo Roero DOCG 2020 has an unusually limpid ruby appearance. The aromas graduate from cranberry to sour cherry to wild black raspberry, then come violet and rose floral notes along with woody vetiver, black pepper and a warming hint of cinnamon. On the palate wild forest berries, an earthy, balsamic smokiness, and more of that lush sour cherry. The tannins are apparent so serve this wine at a classic cellar temperature of around 57° F for maximum deliciousness. And it is delicious.