Proprieta Sperino is truly a labor of love. This splendid 8 hectare hillside estate is situated in the small town of Lessona, near Biella in northern Piemonte. The current proprietor is Paolo de Marchesi who happens to be the winemaker and owner of the much more famous Isole e Olena, one of the top producers in Chianti Classico. Originally owned by his Grandmother Felice Sperino, a passionate viticulturist and professor in Turin, Paolo inherited the property upon her passing in 1999.

Since the 1970’s Paolo had dreamed of revitalizing this storied estate. Lessona is one of the villages of Alto Piemonte, a high altitude, Alpine region that a century before was considered amongst Italy’s best. But two world wars and depression took its toll and by the time Paolo along with some Luca took over the estate it was considered backwater, very much in the shadow of their neighbors in Barolo and Barbaresco.

In order to accomplish their goal the family relocated from Tuscany and now live in Lessona. While Tuscany is about as picturesque as it gets, Paolo was always struck by the rugged beauty and dramatic climate of Alto Piemonte, which is very much reflected in the wine they produce. The vineyards sit at the foot of Monte Rosa. Six are in Lessona, split between the Belvedere, Ormeggio, Castagnola, Rava and Covà vineyards. The other two and a half make up the Madonna degli Angeli vineyard around the hamlet of Forte, in Bramaterra.

Just like in lower Piemonte, Nebiollo is king here. The mineral rich sands of this area, unique to Piedmont, produce wines of tension and elegance. Along with Nebiollo, Sperino grows the local varieties of Croatina and Vespolina, the latter of which is blended with Nebiolo to produce one of the most high-toned and mineral laden rosés we get every year. All three varieties are blended into the Uvaggio, a wine that displays its volcanic origins in its bright acidity and assertive tannins. The Lessona is all Nebbiolo (Spanna in the local dialect) grown on ancient sand that used to lie at the bottom of a sea and is a benchmark of elegance for the region.

After being harvested by hand the grapes are brought into the cellar which is located in the castle of Lessona. They are then sorted, destemmed and gently pressed before being fed by gravity into open topped wooden fermenters. Fermented with native yeast, maceration can last up to 21 days for the reds. All wines age on their lees, about three months for the rosé and up to 18 months for the Lessona. After bottling the reds spend years in the cellar before being released when the winery deems them ready.

Sperino may be one of the most important and historical wine restoration projects in Italy to date and has played an outsized role in the elevation of Alto Piedmonte. The region is now producing wine that rivals the best from Northern Italy. The Marchesi have accomplished a lot in their lives but perhaps the reestablishment of Proprieta Sperino might be their greatest achievement of them all.