Azienda Agricola Cagliero Langhe Rosso DOC "Galverno" 2020 750mL

“Like a leather belt with a big buckle” is how our friend described this wine. We think she nailed it. There’s an earthy, almost ferrous foundation to it, which has really come into its own since we first landed it almost a year ago.

The winemaking here is unique. Stefano Cagliero doesn’t know of anyone else in Piedmont making a wine in this style which is a blend of Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, refermented with the pressed skins from his Barolo production. It’s the Ripasso style more usually associated with Valpolicella.

The result is a stunner, at an excellent price. With five years in bottle at the time of tasting it presents a range of tertiary flavours with leather, earth and porcini all prominent. There’s caramel, dried thyme, bay leaf prunes and crunchy Satsuma plum.

After around an hour of air, more red fruits suddenly burst to the front, with raspberries, red cherries and cherry liqueur.

The tannins are lovely and smooth, with refreshing acidity which balances the 14.5% alcohol well.

Stunning complexity for one of the most affordable wines in our range. Stefano recommends pairing with a charcuterie board or a mushroom risotto.