From: Piedmont, Italy
Blend: Cortese, Chardonnay
Taste: The Raineri Gianmatteo Langhe Bianco is a beautifully balanced and complex wine that showcases the best of both Cortese and Chardonnay grapes. This unique blend results in a wine with a bright, straw-yellow color and a complex bouquet of white flowers, citrus fruits, and mineral notes. On the palate, the wine is crisp and refreshing, with flavors of green apple, lemon zest, white peach and a touch of dry honey. The acidity is well-balanced, with a bright and refreshing character that keeps on giving. The wine is medium-bodied with a well-structured mouthfeel and a long, persistent finish. The minerality of the Cortese grape shines through on the finish, adding a beautiful sense of terroir to the wine.
Pairing: This delightful Langhe Bianco is also extremely versatile! The bright acidity and minerality of the wine make it a perfect match for fresh seafood, light pasta dishes, and salads. One regional specialty that would pair well with this wine is vitello tonnato, a classic Italian dish of thinly sliced veal served with a tuna and caper sauce. The acidity of the wine would help to cut through the richness of the sauce, while the mineral notes would complement the delicate flavor of the veal. A fresh and vibrant summer salad with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs would be a perfect match for the wine, as would a light pasta dish with roasted vegetables and a lemony sauce. Japanese and Thai cuisine, as well as Vietnamese fare (lean into those tofu-based dishes!) are also fantastic partners with this wine.
Vitello Tonnato
Recipe from Marcella Hazan
Adapted by Amanda Hesser
The 2021 Raineri Gianmatteo Langhe Bianco is yet another fantastic wine from the Raineri winery, which has been producing exceptional Langhe wines since its inception in 2004. The Raineri winery is the brainchild of three friends with a passion for the Langhe and its wines. The winery began with a few hundred bottles of Dolcetto from the Dogliani appellation, and today it produces a range of Langhe wines that are typical of their terroir.
The Raineri winery's Nebbiolo vineyards are situated in Monforte d'Alba, which is the southernmost district of the Barolo appellation. The vineyards in Monforte d'Alba are among the highest in the area, with some climbing to 2,000 feet. The unique soil composition of grey marls, limestone, clay, and a small percentage of chalk creates Nebbiolo that is tannic, full-bodied, powerful, and age-worthy. Raineri's vineyards in Perno, which are closer to the town of Barolo than Monforte, have a higher percentage of sand, making the wine approachable in its youth while retaining the classic "Monforte" characteristics.
Aside from their Nebbiolo vineyards, Raineri also has vineyards in Farigliano, which are perfect for Dolcetto. The Cornole vineyard is the highest elevation vineyard in the Dogliani appellation and allows for 100% organic production. Raineri's Barolo is produced from three plots within the Perno Cru of Montforte d'Alba, with vineyards facing west toward the town of Barolo, east toward Serralunga, and north toward Castiglione and La Morra.
This pretty Langhe Bianco is a blend of Cortese and Chardonnay. Cortese is a white grape variety that is native to the Piedmont region of Italy and is known for its crisp acidity, minerality, and citrus flavors. Chardonnay is a grape variety that is grown all over the world and is known for its versatility, with a range of flavors depending on the region in which it is grown. Here, on Piedmont’s unique soils Chardonnay expresses itself in a structured and elegant way, more Chablisienne in style than say, Chardonnay from California or even Oregon.