Introduction: Bricco Ernesto's Vino Bianco is as unconventional as the man who makes it. Rather than producing Arneis in the light, neutral style typical of the appellation, Renato Vezza approaches it the way a great white Burgundy producer might approach a difficult vintage — with skin contact, mixed vessel aging, and an insistence on texture and depth over clean simplicity. The result is an Arneis that bears almost no resemblance to the region's standard offering: a wine of genuine complexity and idiosyncratic character that has earned a devoted following and appears regularly alongside much more celebrated Italian whites. Production is tiny — fewer than 4,000 bottles total per year between this and the Rosso — making it one of Piedmont's most coveted and difficult-to-find whites.

Terroir: The Arneis is grown on the same north-facing hillside plot at 280 meters above sea level in Priocca, Roero — one of the highest points in the appellation — on sandy (70%), limestone (20%), and clay (10%) soils certified organic since 1990. Planted beginning in 2014, the vines face north, a counterintuitive choice that slows ripening and builds the tension and natural acidity needed to support the wine's ambitious structure. Renato and Elisa are the only hands that touch the vines through the entire season, tending them with an intentionality that borders on devotion — deliberately overgrown and wild in appearance, but deeply understood from the inside.

Appearance: Pale golden straw with a light amber tinge — not perfectly clear, as the natural lees left in the wine amplify color, flavor, and texture. The slight cloudiness is a feature, not a flaw.

Nose: Multi-layered and unlike any standard Arneis — orange peel, dried apricot, white stone fruit, dried flowers, and liquorice root open a bouquet that deepens with fennel, honey, and aromatic herb notes. The skin contact adds a savory, almost oxidative richness without pushing toward overt orange wine territory. It is complex, distinctive, and demands attention.

Palate: Full-bodied and richly textured, with a waxy, stony quality and the pliant tannin grip that skin-contact white wines deliver at their finest. Honey, peach, white fig, and spice anchor a palate of real depth and weight, while the variety's natural acidity and the high-elevation sandy soils preserve a lively freshness beneath all the richness. The combination of acacia wood, French barrique, and amphora aging adds layers of complexity without imposing wood character — the wine is unmistakably Arneis throughout.

Finish: Long, nutty, and perfumed, with honey, herb, and a persistent minerality fading through an exceptionally sustained close. The finish is the wine's most remarkable feature — it lingers well beyond what the variety alone could achieve, a testament to the extended fermentation, natural lees aging, and restraint on the part of the winemaker.

Food Pairings:
🥩 Meat: Roasted langoustines with herb butter, grilled branzino with lemon and capers, or veal vitello tonnato
🥦 Vegetarian: Truffle tagliolini, roasted white asparagus with aged Parmesan, or a Piemontese bagna cauda with seasonal vegetables
🧀 Charcuterie Board: Aged Toma Piemontese, mild Castelmagno, roasted hazelnuts, honeycomb, and Piemontese salame

Overall Impression: The 2024 Bricco Ernesto Vino Bianco is a genuinely rare and singular white wine — a skin-contact Arneis of real ambition and emotional depth from one of Piedmont's most compelling micro-estates. It will divide opinion in the way that all truly individual wines do, but for those who meet it on its own terms, it is an unforgettable experience. Allow at least 30 minutes open before serving, or serve the following day. Serve at 55–58°F; drink now through 2028–2030.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 13/%
Farming Practices:Certified organic since 1990; biodynamic practices; no chemical herbicides or synthetic treatments; north-facing exposure; only Renato and Elisa tend the vines; 0.5 hectares of Arneis planted from 2014
Producer Name: Bricco Ernesto (Renato Vezza & Elisa Antonioni)
Old World / New World: Old World
Country of Origin: Italy
Region: Roero, Piedmont (labeled as Vino da Tavola / Vino Bianco — intentionally bottled outside the DOC designation)
Grape Varietals: Arneis 100%
Vintage: 2024
Wine Style: Dry White — Full-bodied, textured, and mineral-driven, with a complex stone fruit and dried flower profile shaped by skin contact and mixed vessel aging. Far more structured and layered than conventional Roero Arneis — built for the table and for short to medium-term cellaring.
Winemaking Techniques: Whole-cluster maceration with skin contact; fermentation begins with skins; removed from skins when taste and texture are achieved; fermentation completed in acacia wood barrel, Tava amphora, and French barrique; one round of bâtonnage after alcoholic fermentation to encourage malolactic conversion; aged 6 months in 7hL acacia barrel, one 3hL Tava amphora, and one French oak barrique; additional 5 months bottle aging before release; racked once; no filtration; natural lees retained
Pack Size: 750ml
Container Style: Glass bottle
Closure Style: Verify on bottle