Renzo Castella 'Mandonnina' Langhe Nebbiolo 2023

Renzo Castella's decades-old, pesticide and herbicide-free vineyards comprise just 8 hectares of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, a wee bit of Barbera and Riesling, and hug the borderline between Diano D’Alba (one of only seven villages to be granted DOCG status for Dolcetto) and Serralunga, Barolo. If you look at a geological map of the Langhe, you can literally see the small vein of limestone creeping over the border from Barolo and into Renzo's backyard, but essentially nowhere else in Diano – it's a supremely unique and impressive micro-terroir, and is ideally situated to grow both Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, of which Renzo has become a master. Although the Castella family has been farming the same vines since the early 1900s and Renzo is deeply experienced and has a formal oenological education, he seemingly has zero ego, or any desire to become famous or ‘build his brand.’ (There is no flashy website, no tasting room…only a small stone cellar that shares a driveway with the home of his parents.) The wines are delicious, deliver absurdly high QPR value (and as such have become ‘darlings’ of the sommelier community).

 

Renzo's Nebbiolo is flowing with pure and radiant aromas and flavors of cherry, wild strawberry, violet, rose petal, truffles, and white pepper, it's not the heaviest Nebbiolo we stock, but it's that elegance and transcendental perfume that will keep you coming back for sip after sip.