Deltetto • Roero In 1977 Carlo’s son, Antonio, completed his oenology studies and joined his father, continuing to acquire and plant vineyards on the hillsides of the three noble towns. On a map, the line from Santo Stefano to Canale to Castellinaldo and back again, forms an almost triangle, shaping the heart of the Roero wine region above the Tanaro river. Canale is arguably Roero’s wine capital, its hills have balanced expositions, somewhere in between the extreme slopes of Santo Stefano Roero and the soft hills of Castellinaldo. DOCG laws celebrate the spirited expressions of Nebbiolo and Arneis, and there are pockets of Pinot Noir and Barbera which are equally energetic. The land that was once a lake, impresses us with its off-the- chart fragrant and user-friendly Nebbiolo grown in reddish sands and blue-grey loam. It’s hard not to talk about Nebbiolo without mentioning Barolo and Barbaresco, the comparison conversation is evident. Nebbiolo from Roero is more red- fruited, big on that wild cherry-straw-razz seduction, and the way the wine unfolds in your mouth is raw and melt-y. It’s more calm and soft, often pleasure-seeking textures we experience with older Nebbiolo wines, not the younger ones. Yet, Arneis is the darling grape of the Deltetto family because Antonio loves white wines (his first vintage was 1977). Yesterday’s expressions of Arneis were golden, nutty-honeyed, and too floral. Today the wines, made in a cleaner style, favor crunch and zip with a salt-lick core of orange colored stone-fruit and citrus. In special years, ripe with humidity and noble rot, the family releases a rare passito style. If you see one, buy it, drink it, savor it (we don’t even have a secret stash at our office). Antonio, also, experimented with Champagne method wines in his cellar in the 1980s, a valuable “head-start” in Italy’s sparkling wine game. They didn’t market the wines until 2000, so some assume they jumped-on the bubbly bandwagon, when, in reality, they were the bandwagon. Based on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Nebbiolo with patient lees aging (up to 4 years), their Spumanti wines are now considered among the best in Italy.

Roero Arneis "San Michele" 2018 Carlo Deltetto was a 1970s Arneis maverick along with Giacosa and Vietti. The grape was planted alongside Nebbiolo to detract the birds from eating Nebbiolo, hence the synonym Nebbiolo Bianco. The sandy soils of Roero liken to Arneis where it turns into a wine of big aroma and freshness. Planted in 1975, the San Michele vineyard has unusual limestone underneath its sandy top. 70% of the wine is fermented and aged in steel and cement, while 30% is fermented and aged in barrel. The barrel's influence is depth and texture over smell and taste (people always guess 100% steel). Fresh yellow into white flowers pressed with layers of sliced green apple, pear, and almond; ends with a mouthwatering, almost salty finish. The 2018 marks the 42nd vintage of San Michele.