2019 La Palazzina Bramaterra 'Balmi Bioti'

The fiercely mineral Balmi Bioti is a stunner in the low yielding but superb 2019 vintage - weighing in at 12.8% alcohol.

95 Points, Gary Walsh - "Mainly Nebbiolo with some Croatina, Vespolina and Uva Rara. Importer Rody Hall is an interesting man, and he has an unerring ability to sniff out outstanding producers. Andrew Guard is another that springs to mind. Of course there are others who do a great job too, and the landscape of wine, and what we drink here has changed for the better as a result. And if it informs local producers as an outcome, then that’s also a welcome side effect. Red and black fruits, aromatic herbs, liquorice, dried roses. It’s medium-bodied, succulent in red and black fruit, a little juniper and orange peel bitterness punctuates the wine, tannin is plush and ripe, and the finish is long and satisfying with a ‘mineral’ accent that’s so appealing. Excellent. Distinctive too."

93 Points, John Gilman (A View From The Cellar) - "2019 Bramaterra “Balmi Bioti”- La Palazzina The single vineyard bottling of Bramaterra “Balmi Bioti” from La Palazzina is made from a blend of seventy percent nebbiolo, fifteen percent croatina and seven and a half percent each of vespolina and uva rara. The wine is raised in old Slavonian oak botti. The 2019 Balmi Bioti again comes in at a refreshing thirteen percent alcohol and offers up a lovely nose of red and black cherries, woodsmoke, lovely and complex base of soil tones, gamebird, fresh oregano, just a touch of road tar and a fine top note of rose petals. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and still fairly tightly-knit, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, buried tannins and fine length on the nascently complex and impeccably balanced finish. This will require some cellaring to blossom properly, but it is going to be excellent". 2032-2065+

A nose of lavender & potpourri, dried herbs & crushed rock. A generous mid palate of ferrous bloody notes with tinges of balsamic & dried orange.  It's concentrated but still lithe & supple.  Destined for a long and bright future.