Piedmont Club - September 2025

Greeting Piedmont lovers! This month features two reds that live and breathe their hillsides. One is Barbaresco built on marl and sand with that river-cooled lift; the other is Alto Piemonte from volcanic porphyry that tastes like red stone and mountain air. Both are outstanding representations of their regions.

Fletcher Barbaresco “Recta Pete” 2021 

The site. This is a traditional Barbaresco in the sense that it is a blend of multiple vineyard sites to show the region as a whole. Barbaresco sits a little lower and a touch warmer than Barolo, and it’s closer to the Tanaro River—so grapes tend to ripen earlier, tannins come off a bit gentler, and wines are generally more approachable in youth. You still get the classic Langhe mix of calcareous marl with sandy seams and those south–west exposures around 250–350 meters, but the overall feel is more lift and finesse than sheer power.

The grower & the year in the glass. Australian David Fletcher splits his time making wine at Ceretto and building his own label in Barbaresco—still a rarity for a non-Italian in these hills. “Recta Pete” falls under his personal project: hand-picked fruit, native ferments, gentle extraction, and aging in large, neutral casks so the site stays front and center. 2021 gave a long, even season with clean ripeness and bright acidity, so the wine lands in that red-cherry/rose/orange-peel lane with tannin to age for many years. Decant 30 minutes and pour in Burgundy stems if you're drinking anytime soon, but as we've learned on this Piedmont journey so far, 2021 is a vintage to cellar. 

Castello Conti Boca “Il Rosso delle Donne” 2018

The site. Boca sits high in the Novara hills of Alto Piemonte at the foot of Monte Fenera—cooler, wind-brushed, and built on ancient pink porphyry and other volcanic stones. Vines here can reach 400–500+ meters on well-drained, acidic soils that naturally rein in vigor. Alto Piemonte tends to blend Nebbiolo, and in this wine there is 75% to be found. Nebbiolo (locally, Spanna) is the spine, with Vespolina (20%) and a touch of Uva Rara (5%) lending spice and lift. The result is a leaner, more vertical expression of Nebbiolo: brighter acidity, finer tannin grain, and a red-toned fruit profile that stays nimble even in warmer years.

The grower & the year in the glass. Castello Conti is a standard-bearer for Boca—low-intervention farming, long macerations, and aging in large old botti rather than flashy barrique. “Il Rosso delle Donne” honors the Conti women who kept the estate going when the zone was nearly forgotten. 2018 was warm across Piedmont, but elevation here kept the wine in balance: red cherry and cranberry, wild herbs, pink pepper from Vespolina, and a stony echo that’s very Boca. This wine shows more natural in style than what we typically select, showing more rustic flavors and aroma than other wines in our club, but we think that adds to the overall charm! Give it 30–60 minutes in a decanter; aim it at polenta with braised beef, grilled mushrooms, or alpine cheeses. It drinks beautifully now and will keep steady for the next 5–7 years. Compared to the polish and poise of the wines from Barolo and Barbaresco, this wine shows the wild side of Piedmont. 

That’s all for this month—we’ll keep the great Piedmont coming for you in October!