The Wine
Erbaluce is a rare grape you really should know! It is one of the 1,000+ grapes used to make wine in Italy, where it is found almost exclusively in Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Used to craft both still and sparkling wines, it may be best known for its rendition in Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG, a passito (dried) style of wine.
This wine is 100% organic Erbaluce that went through
spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, then left in contact with the skins for a full month before being aged for 6 months in old tonneaux (hence the name, “VecchieTonneau”). These large casks allowed the wine to breathe slightly before being bottled, reducing its sharp edge and adding a textural element to its palate experience.
Tasting Notes:
This is an alpine white that trades polish for soul. In the glass, Vecchie Tonneau opens with aromas ofyellow apple, dried wildflowers, herbs, and perhaps it’s most distinctive element – a hint ofsmoke and chalk dust. On the palate, the wine has
a
saline edge
and a
slight tannic grip
from the extended skin contact. G
reen pear, wheat flour, and citrus peel
are framed by its zippy, refreshing acidity and a long, delicious finish.
Serve it cool, not cold, with lake fish, washed-rind cheeses, or roasted root vegetables.
Just 300 cases produced. 12.5% ABV
The Winery
Monte Maletto is the personal project of Gian Marco Viano, a former sommelier who left Michelin-starred dining rooms in Glasgow and Alto Adige to return home and revive the forgotten vineyards of Carema and Canavese, just below the Valle dAosta border.
Inspired by the writings of Mario Soldati and driven by a deep respect for local tradition, Gian Marco began by restoring abandoned terraces and renting tiny parcelssome barely accessible by foot. His vineyards are steep, pergola-trained, and rooted inglacial soils of sand, serpentine, and gneiss, with a touch of chalk. These acidic soils give his wines their signature mineral tension.
Together with his collaborator, Maurizio Curto, Gian Marco is part of a new wave of heroic viticulture in Northern Piemontewhere low yields, manual labor, and deep patience are the norm.
Gian Marco’s wines are not just delicioustheyre a testament to the resilience of place.
