From: Piedmont, Italy

Varietal: Arneis

Tasting Notes: Lifted and fresh on the nose with notes of white blossoms and snappy fruits. On the palate, the wine gives way to stone fruits and hints of melon before finishing with a zip of refreshing acidity. The finish is clean but long and showcases this classic vintage perfectly.

91 Points -Wine Enthusiast

The Winery. Giuseppe Damonte established Malvirà in 1950, a time when the Roero’s potential was yet unrealized. Giuseppe had a great passion for farming and wine, a passion that he passed on to his two sons, Roberto and Massimo. In 1974, Roberto and Massimo took the reins and began slowly turning the family’s bulk wine business into an estate focusing on quality wine production. Over the course of the next 30+ years, the brothers Damonte worked tirelessly to improve the quality of wines at Malvirà. Today their entire production comes from six vineyards over about 40 HA, all of which is organically farmed.

Few are as dedicated to Arneis as the Damonte brothers. Almost half of their production is the indigenous white grape and in 1983 they purchased the famed Renesio cru. It was from this vineyard that Arneis is said to have first been identified in 1478. Despite its long history in Piedmont, Arneis almost went extinct in the early 1990s when fewer than 60 HA remained. As true believers, the Damontes have some of the oldest vines around, with averages hovering around 50 years. Much like Chardonnay and Riesling, Arneis provides a great looking glass into its particular terroir. When planted in stony calcareous soils, the wines are steely and mineral – like great Chablis. In clay soils, a rich wine laced with warm tropical fruit is produced.