Gian Luca 2019 Barolo DOCG

Gian Luca is an impassioned perfectionist. When visiting his winery in 2023, we found him surviving on just a few hours of sleep. He and his family had been in the vineyards into the wee hours, picking leaf-eating bugs off the vines so he didn't have to violate his organic ethic.

When he visited California a year later, I reminded him of his late-night 'family outing in the vineyard'. He smiled a bit as he pulled out a notebook from his jacket. It recorded, by date, the number of worms picked from the vines each night. The numbers revealed when the eradication was sufficient to discontinue his sleep-stealing routine. THAT'S the kind of grower Gian Luca is.

And this level of attention to detail pays off - his wines are world-class and he's become a sought-after consultant in Barolo/Barbaresco. But his wines still fly under the radar, as he is more focused on the unending pursuit of perfection than in currying favor with collectors and the wine press and those who hand out ratings and such. 

This is a wine for the ages, one that will improve for decades.

A small, family-owned property that is brand new by Old World standards, where some wineries have been in the family for 30+ generations. Gian Luca cut his winemaking teeth while making wine for some of Piemonte's top producers, and went out on his own to pursue his dream of making Pinot Nero (whether you call it Pinot Noir, Spatburgunder or Pinot Nero "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet") in Piemonte.

It was way more than his dream, actually. More like his undying passion.

Gian Luca spent years studying the micro climates and soils of Piemonte until he found the ideal spot for this grape. Pinot Nero bears similar properties to the Nebbiolo grape behind the prestigious wines of Barolo and Barbaresco areas - good acidity, light color, elegant aromatics and earthiness.

Don't miss a chance to try his wines, if you can find them.