Poderi Luigi Einaudi

BARBARESCO, ITALY |  2019

Poderi Luigi Einaudi was founded in 1897 by Luigi Einaudi, who would later go on to be Italy’s first president. His first estate was purchased in San Giacomo in Dogliani, the heart of Dolcetto country.

Luigi Einaudi was the first to graft on American rootstock to combat phylloxera in Langhe, bringing modern viticulture to the area. In 1915, Luigi made plans to build a cellar and began producing his own wine instead of selling the grapes. He started to buy vineyards that enjoyed a particular position, exposure, and soil quality to create the best wines.

Today the estate is run by his great-grandson Matteo Sardagna and winemaker Giuseppe “Beppe” Caviola. The winemaking has changed over recent years, favoring less extraction, and thus producing wines that can be enjoyed in their youth, but also with the ability to age.

Wine club members are in for a real treat this month as we scored a special deal on the first ever release of a Barbaresco from Einaudi. This classic expression of Nebbiolo comes from grapes in the village of Neive in Barbaresco. In Neive you tend to have clay-limestone soil, but also with the addition of sand in the soil. These vines, planted 20 years ago, produce a wonderfully aromatic and expressive example of Nebbiolo.

2019 is a great vintage in Barbaresco, and this shows beautiful aromas of dark cherry, anise, and mineral. On the palate, it shows some classic Nebbiolo tannins, but those are well encompassed with notes of red fruit and spice. We highly recommend decanting this wine for an hour prior to serving, and drinking alongside a grilled steak or mushroom risotto.

It is impossible to find a quality Barbaresco like this for $40 this deals, and this wine normally retails for $50+. So don’t hesitate to come back and buy more to stock up on, because deals like this don’t come around very often! Drink now through 2030+.