We were spending an afternoon and a night in Monforte d’Alba on an emergency Barolo run in summer 2022. We have started many evenings Le Case della Saracca with antipasti and bubbles but this was the first time we stayed for dinner and overnighted in one of their amazing rooms. It’s an incredible place, built into the side of the hill, a labyrinthine repurposing of old buildings and a chapel. Giulio is a wonderful host and he knows his wine list inside out. We were chatting and told him that we had been looking for a traditional Barbaresco – something that had eluded us over recently. “Try this”. It was delicious: haunting Nebbiolo, a combination of elegance and controlled power. As if that wasn’t enough, we love the label!
The following day this beautiful bottle brought us to the township of Neive, where we met Alessandra Toso and her father Carlo who make old school Barbaresco, the Queen of Nebbiolo.