Giovanni Almondo 'Bricco delle Ciliegie' Roero Arneis

The Almondo estate is one of the reference-point producers of Arneis, that trickiest of Piemonte varieties. Their Bricco delle Ciliegie bottling is the top wine the estate produces, and it comes from a hillside site that is farmed organically. The wine is fermented and aged almost entirely in tank (5% gets aged in neutral barrels), with 10 months of lees aging. The resulting wine is a feast for the senses.

Antonio Galloni called Almondo's single vineyard Bricco delle Ciliegie the "reference point white of the appellation," and all we can say is that we've never had a better version of this variety in our lives. Complex, layered, tense and tactile, it exudes wonderful aromas and flavors of jasmine, honeysuckle, white peach, green apple, mint, and more. Drink over the next decade.