2017 Malvira Roero Arneis Piedmont Italy 750 ml

Beating the Critics to the “Very Best” White Wines of Piedmont

Nestled into a rippling sea of hills in Italy’s northwest Piedmont region is Malvirà, an estate near the town of Canale in the heart of Roero, mere miles from the home of Barolo and Barbaresco. Given the location, you’d expect to find Gucci-clad signores in the local cafés and piazzas sipping Piedmont’s trademark red. But in fact, the wine they drink is Arneis—an electric white, brimming with vibrancy and fleshy richness. If they’re a wine drinker of good judgment, Malvirà is the Arneis in their glass.

Wine drinkers in the know stockpile Arneis by the case because it is the dream white of bargain-hunters—a perfect, under-the-radar aperitif that delivers sky-high quality, fresh flavors, and is perfect to enjoy while a good red opens in the decanter. At $16.99, it’s priced to stockpile too.

This is the kind of crisp white that lovers of Chablis and unoaked Chardonnay swoon over. But no matter your style preference for white, make no mistake, today’s 2017 Malvirà Roero Arneis is no ordinary bottle, and deserves your full attention. Operated by brothers Massimo and Roberto Damonte, Malvirà has been called, “One of the most respected estates in the Roero and in all of Piedmont,” and one which “ranks among the very best Arneis wine producers in Italy,” according to Antonio Galloni’s Vinous.

But Vinous is late to the game—we first offered Mavlirà two years ago, mesmerized ourselves after having spent the day with the Damonte brothers, who inherited the business from their father. Massimo takes care of the vines and Roberto manages the cellar. In 600 years, their land has had only four owners—a proud family legacy.  

42 of Malvirà's 104 sun-dappled acres of vineyards are dedicated to Arneis, their premier offering, with vines ranging from 40 to 50 years old. Few other wineries in the world can claim the same bond to the grape: Their south-facing Renesio vineyard was the cru where Arneis was first identified in 1478.

Massimo Damonte told us the secret to achieving the fabulously crisp, vibrant, and mouthwatering wet-stone minerality that so distinguishes Malvirà is the area’s unique geological makeup. The Roero soil is deeply layered with oceanic sediment and sand that dates back thousands of years to when this part of the world lay under the sea. To this day, Massimo says he still finds fossilized shells scattered amongst the vineyards.

The 2017 Malvirà Roero Arneis blends select grapes from the Damonte’s four distinct sites—Trinità, Saglietto, Bordoni, and Renesio (the latter of which has been lauded for delivering “Montrachet-like” opulence according to Vinous). It has a day-bright golden straw color with delicate aromas of peach, acacia, and elderflower. A beautiful mouthfeel delivers grilled peaches, a touch of almond paste, and secondary notes of lees and dried citrus peel atop juicy acidity that cuts through the medium creamy texture and saline-like minerality. 85 cases just arrived stateside from the Roero cellars in 58-degree containers. Just $16.99 on cases today—a real bargain for lovers of stunning mineral whites.