Giovanni Almondo Roero Bric Valdiana 2014

Ideally drink now to 2029. Decant 1 hour, best served at 16-20°C

Giovanni Almondo has created a reference point for Piemontese wines with this very special 2014 Bric Valdiana from the Roero DOCG. 100% Nebbiolo, with a color of red garnet and light ruby that will delicately fade to brick red the longer it stays in the cellar. With a nose of ripe cherry, blackberry tart and panettone, the slight salinity gleaned from soil rich in marine fossils from the ancient Aegean Sea is unique and pleasantly surprising. The Bric Valdiana has a beautiful, full body, balancing tenacious tannins with the complexity of both savory brine and sweet vanilla. Expect the concentrated cherry and vanilla to lead to more earthy tobacco leaf, violets and dried black currant as it ages.

Aromatic and elegant, this is a wine to enjoy with polenta and braised rabbit or a platter of aged and seasoned cheeses.

The strong tannic structure can be traced to the extended maceration period this wine underwent, as well as the soil composition of the vineyard. The rich fossil soil comprised of sand (65%), limestone (20%), and clay (15%), allows for grapes with acid and minerality, and solid tannins from an 18-22 day maceration period on the skins. The wine then spent 22 months aging in lightly toasted and new French oak, as well as non toasted Slavonian oak. The care that went into the wine making is reflected in the nuanced flavors of this prototypical Roero Nebbiolo, that will continue to please for the next decade. Put this bottle away for a special occasion!