You’ve heard of iconic Brunello’s like Biondi Santi but Salvioni should also be on your radar as well. With less than 10 acres or 1/5th of their property planted to grapevines, pampered doesn’t begin to cover the winegrowing philosophy. Grown at over 1,200 feet above sea level, there is a near constant breeze that assists in maintaining acidity and reducing disease pressure. The confluence of breezes and high elevation ensure that freshness is maintained even in exactingly hot vintages like 2017. The resulting wines combine jammy ripeness with lifted acidity, almost Napa-esque. 

In order to maximize the power of their old vines, yields are highly reduced and spend more than the required time in vat and bottle.

You know the Maresh family for their stunning examples of old-vine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the spirit of experimentation Jim decided to launch a separate label, named Tan Fruit, in order to craft Oregon Chardonnay completely untethered. After blowing us away during a visit to the shop and sweeping Wine Advocate’s 2021 Oregon Chardonnay awards, there’s something special going on! Jim noted that his goal was “to explore outside of the Dundee Hills.” In future vintages, he will continue to explore, sourcing from a mixture of vineyards, new sources, and even new regions within Oregon.

He began Tan Fruit to “experiment and play around with techniques” for crafting Chardonnay, but the essentials for making Oregon Chard great in the winery will always be in his mind to pick early, age in a combination of steel and oak, and to ferment bone dry.

Though Cantina del Pino has only been producing since 1997, the Vacca family and their estate vineyard have been a part of Italian winemaking for over 100 years. Domizio Cavazzo established the vineyard in 1894, becoming one of the first winemakers to produce Nebbiolo under the name Barbaresco. Keep in mind this was 72 years before the creation of the official appellation in 1966. An advocate for Langhe farmers, Cavazzo’s vineyard was well known, recognizable by the large Mediterranean pine tree he planted on the day his first son was born. In 1912, the Vacca family took over the estate and have worked the land for four generations, becoming known for world class wines from the historic vineyard.