Cascina Val Liberata 'Cenerina' Slarina 2020

This is a wine built to break the stereotype of Piedmont as (exclusively) a land of tannic, buttoned-up reds. Winemakers Deirdre O’Brien and Maurizio Caffer had only recently founded Cascina Val Liberata, their biodynamic estate in Monferrato, when they got a chance to try an experimental vinification of Slarina by researchers at the University of Turin. They fell in love with the nearly extinct red grape, which in the early 1900s was removed from the region’s permitted list of varietals in favor of higher-yield vines like Barbera.

Named for the Italian word cenere, or ash (thanks to the bloom of yeast that often covers the ripening grapes), Slarina deserves a place among Piedmont’s more celebrated reds. Its light and silky tannins mean it can be drunk young, but it still carries a sense of panache thanks to zippy acidity and bright red fruit notes. Cascina Val Liberata’s “Cenerina” is a wilder expression of the grape, with some funk on the nose from volatile acidity, which quickly takes a backseat to elegant notes of pomegranate molasses, cranberry, hibiscus and tarragon. Versatile and fresh, this is the ultimate holiday party wine — serve at cellar temp, or with a slight chill, alongside a loaded charcuterie board.-Kate Masters