When Luca Currado-Vietti and Elena Penna sold their beloved Vietti, it sent shockwaves through the wine world. What would happen to Vietti, everyone wondered, now that they were gone? We shouldn’t have worried. Vietti is just fine. But, more importantly for me, as they’ve been good friends of ours for 35 years, I wondered what would become of the Penna-Currados themselves!? There was no way, I figured, Luca was going to content himself for long with his small consulting business in Tuscany, nor would Elena be long happy with only her small artisan Gin and Vermouth operation to occupy her. And with their two bright and accomplished kids now interested in joining the family wine business, I knew it was only a matter of time before they returned to their Langhe roots. And it was in surprisingly short order- once Luca’s post-sale commitment to Vietti was completed- that the foundations for their next adventure were laid. It started with the purchase of the small 16th century farmhouse that sits perched astride the Lazzarito vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, a spot that has been a part of the Currado-Vietti pantheon for decades, as well as several parcels of fine, old vine Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo in the San Sebastiano zone, just southwest of Monforte d’Alba and Nebbiolo that would soon become Barolo DOCG in Perno. From there it was Luca’s experience farming and winemaking, Elena’s extensive skills on the commercial side and all the kids could offer in terms of passion and excitement that combined to create the family’s new labor of love- Cascina Penna-Currado, the debut wines of which we happily introduced to California last year. Following on the heels of their wildly successful Langhe Nebbiolo Bricco Lago comes the real treasure from Bricco San Sebastiano- the debut vintage of the CPC Nebbiolo d’Alba Superiore. Since the vineyard doesn’t fall into the Barolo zone, the best appellation they could hope for was Nebbiolo d’Alba Superiore, but a bit of unfortunate boundary making notwithstanding, this is the most exciting Penna-Currado release to date- an exquisite 100% Nebbiolo with all of the panache one expects from one of the Langhe’s most accomplished winemakers. This is everything we expect from the evoluted soils of Monforte: its ruddy color, spicy, ferrous-y nose, dried herb and substantial young tannin. The Currado difference is, of course, in his sensitive handing of the wine’s tactility and elegance. This is the winemaker who created all those wonderful Vietti Barolos, after all! It has gravitas, for sure, but it’s already a lovely, polished wine with Nebbiolo’s fennel seed, camphor and dried earth notes on vivid display. But there’s fruit too. A solid core of it. And I love that. Elegant, integrated and exciting, it’s already ready to enjoy with your next roast, Bolognese sauce, lamb leg or long simmered stew. I did find it better if decanted  about an hour before serving. On the whole, this is about as exciting a new project as I can ever remember in the region but, duh, this is the Penna-Currados we’re talking about! 

****I also have a good resupply of Elena Penna’s pet-project, the Penna-Currado 2023 Derhtona Timorasso, one of PRIMA’s ‘Wines of the Year’ so far! Timorasso is a grape Elena fell in love while at Vietti and has made sure to champion as a big part of her family’s new project too. The proud, sole white wine of the CPC project, this is a gorgeous, surprisingly rich, mineral-driven and saline expression of Timorasso made using a brief maceration of the skins during crushing and submerged cap fermentation (an unusual practice for Timorasso that Elena became keen on after visiting with a grower in Liguria). The wine takes on a richness and complexity but without oxidation. It is aged in clay Clayver amphora. It’s $52.99 a bottle and totally killer! Pro tip- Fans of top white Burgundies and Vouvray Sec will love this!