Producer · Piedmont, Italy

Sperino

Proprietà Sperino is an estate in Lessona and Bramaterra, in the northern Alto Piemonte, where Nebbiolo is grown at altitude on poor, acidic soils quite different from the Langhe clays further south. It belongs to the De Marchi family, long known for their work at Isole e Olena in Chianti Classico, who revived it in the early 2000s after decades of vineyard abandonment in this part of Piedmont.

The estate blends Nebbiolo with Vespolina and Croatina, the traditional field-blend varieties that used to accompany Nebbiolo across northern Piedmont before monoculture took over. The wines are medium-bodied, floral and savoury, with a transparency and freshness that is distinctly Alto Piemonte in character. This is a region that deserves much wider recognition, and Sperino is one of the best reasons to give it some.

Winery at Lessona, Piedmont · Vespolina, Nebbiolo and Croatina · £38.95 a bottle