Adriano 2023 Langhe Sauvignon Basarico 750ml

The Adriano family farms in the enclosed Seno d'Elvio valley outside Alba, ringed by Barbaresco vineyards — 50 hectares in total, of which 30 are vines, with a further ten left forested for biodiversity and truffles. Planting Sauvignon Blanc beneath a Barbaresco winery was, two decades ago, a genuinely unorthodox move; the vines sit on Lequio soils, grey calcareous marl alternating with sand — the same formation behind the estate's Sanadaive Barbaresco — a terroir that yields tension, lift and complexity. The name is Piedmontese dialect for basil, a nod to the wine's dried-herb signature. Grapes are gently pressed and slowly fermented at 15–16°C to preserve fruit, then rested briefly on lees before bottling.

Pale green-gold. Aromatically this sits far closer to the Loire than the Antipodes: Meyer lemon, white peach and greengage over white flowers, flint, chamomile and that faint basil-and-cut-grass herbaceousness. The palate is svelte and mineral rather than overtly tropical, with fine texture from lees contact, taut citrus acidity, and a saline, stony finish of real persistence. A serious food white at a fair price.

Pairing: trout, crudo, goat cheese, herb risotto, or sesame-dressed vegetables.