Vineyard Road Day 2: White Pinot Nero by Cavallotto
Produced in extremely limited quantities, just around 900 cases annually, this wine is a genuine labor of love. In a vineyard where every prime row could be devoted to Nebbiolo for Cru Barolo, the Cavallotto family instead chooses to craft this singular expression of Pinot Nero. A quick look at our Masnaghetti map shows that these Pinot Nero vines are in Cru Bricco Boschis and Cru Vignolo. The result is a wine that feels both rare and deeply personal, offering a glimpse into the family’s creative spirit beyond their legendary reds.
Direct imported by Vineyard Road, this bottling highlights Cavallotto’s willingness to innovate while remaining rooted in tradition. The family estate, located in Castiglione Falletto, has been a cornerstone of Piedmontese winemaking since 1928 when Giacomo Cavallotto acquired the historic Bricco Boschis property. By 1946, his grandsons Olivio and Gildo began vinifying the estate’s full production under their own label, guided by their father Giuseppe and uncle Marcello. Today, the family continues to oversee every step across their 23 hectares, land that traces its origins back to the 18th century when it belonged to Countess Juliette Colbert.
With the “PinNer,” Cavallotto turns convention on its head. Pinot Nero is vinified without skin contact, creating a white wine of clarity and finesse. I have been seeing more and more of these types of wines here, whether it is Sangiovese Grosso, Nebbiolo, or Cabernet Franc vinified white. Pinot Nero obviously has a history of this in Champagne, but as a still wine this is really catching on across the globe. I do also love the intent to plant Pinot Nero where Nebbiolo might reign, and to craft something entirely distinctive in one of the world’s most tradition-bound regions. It is, quite simply, a wine that shouldn’t exist.
I am proud to offer this direct import from Vineyard Road, a wine that speaks to both heritage and experimentation in equal measure. Quantities are extremely limited, and once it’s gone, there is no replacing it until the next vintage.
93 Points, Kerin O’Keefe
"All about finesse, the Pinner is a stunning wine. Made with organically farmed Pinot Nero planted in 1972, it’s savory and loaded with class, delivering sensations of peach pit, tart cherry, blood orange, botanical herb and savory saline mineral notes. Vibrant acidity lends racy tension and balance. Drink or hold for even more complexity."