Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Limonte is a classic example of the Grignolino grape, with aromas of red currant and pomegranate seeds that meld with herbal and intense floral notes. The mouth-watering palate pops with tart red berries, wild herbs and an unexpected minerality that can make you do a double take.
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James Suckling
Rose hips, raspberries, pomegranate and a hint of wet stones on the nose. Elegant on the palate with a medium body wrapped by nicely grippy tannins and a supple, berry-driven finish. A little simple but pretty refined and transparent.
Grignolino actually contains a convincing amount of structure and phenolic complexity despite its transparent, strawberry hue. This is because the Grignolino berry holds three seeds instead of the usual two, contributing more tannins when crushed. It is native to the Monferrato hills with a growing region that overlaps with the Asti DOCG. Somm Secret—Until the end of the 1700’s, Grignolino was used for medicinal purposes because of its high tannin content, which acts as an antiseptic.
Recognized as the source of the best Barbera in all of Italy, Asti is a province (as well as major city) in Piedmont, consisting of a gentle, rolling landscape with vineyards, farmland and forests alternating throughout.
Barbera d’Asti can be made in an array of styles from relatively straightforward, fruity and ready for consumption early, to the more concentrated, oak aged version with an ability to cellar impressively for 10-15 years and beyond. Some of the very best sites for Barbera in Asti are concentrated in the subzone of Nizza Monferrato. Other red varieties grown here include Freisa, Grignolino and Dolcetto, which can be bottled varietally or blended into Barbera.
Historically consumers commonly associated the Asti region with Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, both playful, aromatic, sparkling wines made from the Muscat grape. Asti Spumante is less sweet, fully fizzy and more alcoholic (yet still clocking in at only around 9% alcohol) while Moscato d’Asti is sweeter, gently sparkling (“frizzante”) and closer to 5 or 6% alcohol. Each is produced in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh and fruity flavors of the grape, often including peach, apricot, lychee and rose petal. Asti is also the spot for the pink-hued Brachetto d'Acqui, a slightly sparkling wine ready to charm with its raspberry and rose flavors and aromas.