2024 L'Autin Pinerolese - Le Ramie (Nebbiolo blend)

You might think that our staff of appassionati del Piemonte knew everything about Piemonte wines. Nope. A few months ago, importer Caroline Debbané brought Elisa Camusso, from her family’s winery L’Autin, to show us her wines. The family’s vineyards are in the Pinerolese DOC (wine appellation), southwest of Torino in the foothills of the Piemontesi Alps. The Pinerolese comprises three Alpine valleys dotted with high-altitude, terraced vineyards rooted in soils of glacial origin. Italians call the work in these kinds of mountain vineyards viticoltura eroica (heroic viticulture). The grape varieties in the Pinerolese include the more common nebbiolo, barbera, freisa, and bonarda, plus half a dozen local red varieties that you and we haven’t heard of before. Pinerolese Ramìe is a subappellation requiring a minimum of 60% of the unheard-of varieties and a maximum of 40% of the more common ones.

L'Autin’s 'Le Ramìe' is 40% nebbiolo with 15% each of avanà, avarengo, chatus, and becuet, all from 50-year old bush vines growing at 700-1000 meters. The wine aged for eight months in larger, neutral oak barrels. It is a distinctive, higher-toned nebbiolo blend with extra-charming floral and mountain herbal notes and decisive minerality. The tannins are gentle and the acidity prominent. It exhibits both Alpine nerve and Piemontese verve. Drink it in a Burgundy stem with rabbit, mushroom risotto, or mole dishes.

July 2026 Connoisseur (2-bottle) wine club selection.