The Coolest Red for the Hottest Days; Sottimano’s Brachetto

Summer Red, Reinvented: Sottimano’s Dry Brachetto

Here’s a fun one, and perfect for the summer. Sottimano’s 'Maté' is made from Brachetto, a grape most often associated with sweet, fizzy reds—which can be delicious in their own right in the proper place. But this is something entirely different: dry, still, and wildly refreshing. It drinks with the lift of a rosé, the perfume of a Nebbiolo, and the juicy crunch of a Cru Beaujolais.

Sottimano is already a benchmark name in Barbaresco, but this bottling is their secret side project—born from old Brachetto vines in Neive and a desire to show what this grape can really do when given serious attention. No bubbles. No sugar. Just a floral, vivid, light red wine that bursts with notes of wild strawberry, rose petal, blood orange, and the kind of clean minerality that keeps the glass in your hand.

This isn’t just a fun bottle—it’s incredibly well-made. Farming is organic, winemaking is minimal, and the final wine is alive with freshness and clarity. It’s the kind of thing you chill down and crush on a hot afternoon, or pair with just about any meal that calls for something red but not heavy. It’s also the kind of wine that disappears fast, both in the glass and in the market.

Almost no one makes dry, still Brachetto, and certainly not with this level of care and character. The 2023 Maté is a joyful outlier—playful, serious, unexpected. Once you taste it, you’ll want a case. But there’s never enough to go around, so move quickly.

91 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Made entirely with the Brachetto grape, the 2023 Maté is one of my favorite wines in the Sottimano portfolio. "Simpatico" is the best word to describe it. Brachetto has thick skins, low pH and low alcohol. It ferments for three weeks to reveal a fragrant bouquet with strawberry, spiced apple and blueberry. Like Freisa and Pelaverga, Brachetto is especially sensitive to disease and mildew pressure, and that explains why remaining acreage is small. Grignolino, Dolcetto and Barbera were traditionally the moneymakers of this region, especially in the 1970s. It's really nice to see an estate dedicate so much attention to this beautiful little grape. Andrea Sottimano works with whole berry fermentation, limited pump-overs and a few punch-downs because he does not want too much extraction. The purpose is to delicately break the cap. Production is 8,000 bottles.