Iuli 'Natalin' Vino Rosso 2022

We’re zooming into the northern part of Piedmont, in the Monferrato hills, then further into the small town of Montaldo di Cerrina, to find the home of Fabrizio Iuli and his family.

The Iuli’s connection to Montaldo began in the 1920s when Fabrizio’s grandfather Gioacchino made a move back to his home town from a factory job in Lombardia to play clarinet in a marching band, and decided to stay and settle with his wife Ernestina. 10 years later they planted the first vines in the property and the rest is history.

Today, Fabrizio is the only winegrower in the town. His first commercial vintage was 1998, with his Barbera called “Rossore”, and since then he’s focused a lot of energy into showcasing the less celebrated grapes found only in these parts of Italy, like the nearly extinct Baratuciat and Slarina, along with Barbera, Nebbiolo and the Grignolino featured in this month’s selections. At the winery, he favors the use of old wood casks and cement tanks for fermentations, and aims to capture each variety's character with high-toned freshness and purity.

“Natalin”, after his grandfather’s nickname, is made entirely with Grignolino — a variety that usually makes for wines aromatically bright and floral, yet firm and distinct reds.  His take on this vintage is very light in color and body, with perfumed raspberries and a grounding, “wet earth” undertone. Bruno Sant'Anna