La Stoppa "Camporomano" Barbera Emilia 2015

La Stoppa "Camporomano" Barbera Emilia 2015La Stoppa is featured prominently in our Emilia Romagna roundup because of their devoted following and longstanding work as natural wine standard bearers. Though the estate had been around since the late 1800s, the natural wine phase began in earnest in the late 1990s when owner Elena Pantaleoni and winemaker Giulio Armani ripped out Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and other vines to focus on historic grapes of Emilia, like Barbera, Bonarda,

Agronomist Maricruz Antolín heads this project that was one of the first in the region to make fully organic and Demeter-certified Biodynamic wines

‘Parra Libre País’ comes from a single parcel of dry-farmed centenarian vines at the base of a hill in the area of Coelemu in the Itata Valley

a Belgian — ran a restaurant in Belgium in the early 2000s where they were early natural wine advocates

light wines

It is 100% Xinomavro

unlike the rocky

planted in 1912 in San Bernadino

as well as her experience living as an American expat in Italy

The nose is full of preserved lemon

It will age beautifully but is drinking well now

37% Chardonnay

He's one of the cohort of unvarnished characters and ornery personalities that make the natural wine world colorful and interesting