Rebellious Nature is a new label and collaboration with us, created by Renato Vezza of Bricco Ernesto. Renato is well tasted - an ex-Somm in London who returned home to Roero nearly a decade ago to make wine from his family's hilltop "Bricco". He and his partner Elisa craft an Arneis based Bianco and Nebbiolo based Rosso in miniscule quantities (fewer than 4k combined bottles per year).
Bricco Ernesto is the only address in Roero that has truly transcended the appellation, reputation-wise. Also imported by names such as Becky Wasserman and Noble Rot, the wines are known for their energy, completeness, and emotional signatures. For us, wine with such genuine emotion is rare.
Renato is a leader - bottling outside the appellation in a place where this is rarely done due to the pedigree of the land. He works by feel and intensely talks about how he is only interested in playing by his own rules - having the clarity to back it up. Even so, he recognizes the value of “knowing the book” regarding winemaking, but only draws from it what makes sense. He also also brings a deeper meaning to a vineyard driven approach - fascinatingly, only he and Elisa touch the vines during the growing season to preserve the connection and vibrational energy they share. The name of this project is reflective of him.
The first wine I tasted upon meeting Renato in 2021 was an old-vine, co-fermented blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo. Eventually, I learned that in 2020-2022, he and Elisa had the unexpected chance to farm and vinify wine from a local plot of various old-vine, native varieties - the 2020 I tried was the first wine from it. They made another wine in 2021 and again in 2022 (each is described below).
Last year, Renato approached us with a concept. While not being able to farm this new land past 2022, he wanted to leverage the opportunity into something lasting - he would collaborate with different winemakers each year on a shared wine (~2k bottles), allowing for changes in grape varieties and appellations.
The intent is for grapes to be grown naturally by either/both party, with the resulting wine being serious and age-worthy. Each year, the new winemaker’s name would be highlighted and added to the prior year’s label.
Our role in the collaboration is that of the primary US importer, providing creative input, and telling the story of each year's wine. Even so, this is not a private label - it's deeper and more meaningful than that. Also, the importers of the collaborating winemakers will be allowed access to some of the wine.
There are already great things happening with Rebellious Nature, with Chiara Condello currently fermenting the 2023, in Predappio.
In a deeper, sense, Rebellious Nature explores the intersection of human influence and terroir - as different people come together for a shared wine that reaches to be something meaningful. We are firm believers of a part of the winemaker in the wine - providing something more than general quality. We're excited to experience the adventure that this project takes us on...
Label sketch art is from South Korean artist Park Ryu-In.
The beginning. Roughly 60% Barbera, 40% Nebbiolo, co-fermented in wooden "tino" and aged in neutral oak barrel. Not filtered and all old-vines. Of the two wines, this is the most structured and built for the long haul. We've always thought Barbera on the nose, Nebbiolo on the palate, but describing the nose as "Barbera" definitely sells short the extraordinary quality and energy simmering below the surface of this wine. Best on day 2 and 3.
A bit of a crazier, co-fermented old-vine blend (also in "tino" and neutral oak and without filtration) - Sangiovese di Predappio (yes, really), Nebbiolo and Barbera. Currently, the 2021 is more revealing and has a seductive purity as it opens. Best on day 2 and 3.
Arrives in 2024. A wine endearingly called "the potion". Renato describes how he went all in on the "additional" plot of land, making a co-fermented blend of about 6 varieties (everything in the vineyard isn't fully understood). It has Nebbiolo, Freisa, Bonarda (Croatina), Barbera, and a touch of Cortese and Arneis. This wine was made in direct collaboration with Ale from Le More Bianche. To complicate things further, some of the wine was aged at Le More Bianche and some at Bricco Ernesto. The wine will be bottled in different shaped bottles so we will know the difference. There is a fascinating difference between the wines...