Renzo Castella farms in Diano d'Alba, a hilltop town in Piedmont better known historically for Dolcetto than for Nebbiolo. The family's roots there go back to his grandfather Severino, who worked the land in the early 1900s growing fruit and raising livestock. Renzo's father Simone later steered the farm toward wine grapes, quietly assembling a small estate of under ten hectares, though for years the fruit was sold off to neighboring producers rather than bottled under the family's own name. That changed in the early 2000s when Renzo took over and began estate-bottling the wines himself, farming certified organic and working with old, chemical-free vines.

The "Madonnina" bottling comes from a small parcel that sits right on the border between Diano d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba, one of Barolo's most storied communes. The limestone that runs through Serralunga's greatest vineyards continues straight into Renzo's own backyard, and it shows: locals call wines like this one "Baroleggiano," meaning they carry real Barolo structure and aromatics despite being declassified to simple Langhe Nebbiolo. This is 100% Nebbiolo, fermented in stainless steel and aged in large, neutral Slavonian oak so nothing but the fruit and site comes through. The result is pure and perfumed rather than powerful, full of wild strawberry, cherry, rose petal, and violet, with white pepper and a subtle earthy, truffled edge underneath.

Why You'll Love It

• Grown on a parcel that shares its limestone with some of Barolo's most prized vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba
• Farmed organically on old, chemical-free vines by a family now in its third generation of winemaking
• Aged in large neutral oak, never new barrique, so the wine stays pure and transparent
• Delicate, perfumed Nebbiolo with real structure, a genuine "Barolo in disguise" at a fraction of the price

How To Serve It

• Serve at 60 to 65°F
• A short 15 minute decant helps open up the aromatics
• Pour into Burgundy stems
• Pair with braised duck leg, mushroom risotto, or grilled lamb chops
• Drink now through 2032