2019 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Piedmont 750 ml

You go to Piedmont expecting greatness from the Barolo and Barbaresco icons: the Conternos, the Gajas, and the other marquee wines that command $200 and more.

But there’s nothing more satisfying than finding that greatness somewhere less expected—and we found it at a small estate in Verduno. While sitting at a cellar table made out of a warped old barrelhead, we tasted the wine that became the talk of our trip: the Castello di Verduno Barbaresco. 

This is dollar for dollar one of the greatest expressions of place in all of Italy. From the moment we tasted the vibrant young wine straight from the massive oak botti, we could tell it was going to mature into a gorgeous Barbaresco that shines with Verduno’s stellar terroir—and it has. As Vinous’ Antonio Galloni put it, this is “such a pretty wine.” 

Castello di Verduno, which sits in the Barolo zone, was constructed in the early 1500s. It’s a tiny estate, boasting just 25 organically farmed acres. This 2019 bottling comes from three of the family’s vineyards, two of which—Rabaja and Faset—are also tapped to make $70–$100+ single-site wines. 

Crafted with a traditional 20-day fermentation followed by 18 months in Slavonian botti grandi, the 2019 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco is elegant, delicious, and perfect with just about any Northern Italian meal, from a mushroom-laden risotto, to smoky pork tenderloins straight off the grill, to braised meat dishes.

This is a discovery wine that was delicious on the day we found it, and has only gotten better. For the money, there are few better buys in all of Piedmont.