Giovanni Almondo 'Vigne Sparse' Arneis, Roero, Piemonte, Italy 2024
The Almondo family has farmed in and around the town of Montà d'Alba in Roero since the 14th century, though it was Domenico Almondo — with a degree in agricultural sciences — who first committed the estate to quality winemaking, bottling his own wine for the first time in 1981. Today the estate is run by Domenico and his sons Stefano and Federico, who have built it into one of Piedmont's most respected white wine producers. The Almondos farm certified organic, and their Arneis bottlings are routinely cited by other Piemontese producers as benchmark examples of the variety — a white wine of surprising structure and mineral depth, capable of aging well beyond what the category typically demands.
- WINEMAKER: Domenico Almondo with Stefano and Federico Almondo
- FARMING: Certified Organic. Vines planted in the 1990s around Montà d'Alba.
- VARIETY: 100% Arneis
- TERROIR: 'Vigne Sparse' — Piemontese for "scattered vineyards" — is assembled from three distinct parcels on the estate: the historic Burigot, which the Almondos have farmed for over a century; the red-earthed Pe' del Can; and a section on the lower slope of the Bric Valdiana. Soils across the three sites vary considerably, from highly sandy (80% sand, 15% limestone, 5% clay) to clay-calcareous and acidic clay, all at elevations between 310 and 370 meters. The Roero sits on the west bank of the Tanaro River, directly across from the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. Its ancient marine sediment soils — primarily sand — give Arneis a distinctly lighter, more aromatic character than the clay-dominant Langhe opposite.
- VINIFICATION: Each vineyard is harvested and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. The final cuvée is assembled in January following the vintage, after each parcel has been tasted throughout the resting process.
- AGING: 6 months on fine lees in stainless steel. Fined, filtered, and cold stabilized.
- TASTING NOTES: Pale straw with a faint green tint. Aromas of apricot, citrus blossom, fresh herbs, and wet stone. Dry and focused on the palate, with bright acidity, orchard fruit, and a chalky mineral finish. Drinks well on release and through five or more years.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Aperitivo, fresh fish and shellfish, roasted poultry, delicate veal preparations.
Giovanni Almondo 'Vigne Sparse' Arneis, Roero, Piemonte, Italy 2024
The Almondo family has farmed in and around the town of Montà d'Alba in Roero since the 14th century, though it was Domenico Almondo — with a degree in agricultural sciences — who first committed the estate to quality winemaking, bottling his own wine for the first time in 1981. Today the estate is run by Domenico and his sons Stefano and Federico, who have built it into one of Piedmont's most respected white wine producers. The Almondos farm certified organic, and their Arneis bottlings are routinely cited by other Piemontese producers as benchmark examples of the variety — a white wine of surprising structure and mineral depth, capable of aging well beyond what the category typically demands.
- WINEMAKER: Domenico Almondo with Stefano and Federico Almondo
- FARMING: Certified Organic. Vines planted in the 1990s around Montà d'Alba.
- VARIETY: 100% Arneis
- TERROIR: 'Vigne Sparse' — Piemontese for "scattered vineyards" — is assembled from three distinct parcels on the estate: the historic Burigot, which the Almondos have farmed for over a century; the red-earthed Pe' del Can; and a section on the lower slope of the Bric Valdiana. Soils across the three sites vary considerably, from highly sandy (80% sand, 15% limestone, 5% clay) to clay-calcareous and acidic clay, all at elevations between 310 and 370 meters. The Roero sits on the west bank of the Tanaro River, directly across from the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. Its ancient marine sediment soils — primarily sand — give Arneis a distinctly lighter, more aromatic character than the clay-dominant Langhe opposite.
- VINIFICATION: Each vineyard is harvested and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. The final cuvée is assembled in January following the vintage, after each parcel has been tasted throughout the resting process.
- AGING: 6 months on fine lees in stainless steel. Fined, filtered, and cold stabilized.
- TASTING NOTES: Pale straw with a faint green tint. Aromas of apricot, citrus blossom, fresh herbs, and wet stone. Dry and focused on the palate, with bright acidity, orchard fruit, and a chalky mineral finish. Drinks well on release and through five or more years.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Aperitivo, fresh fish and shellfish, roasted poultry, delicate veal preparations.