La Stoppa 'Trebbiolo' Vino Rosso 2023

Press 4 Red • September 2025 Direct Press Selection

La Stoppa has a long and rich history in the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Founded over a century ago Elena Pantaleoni began to lead the winery in the mid 90’s that her family acquired in 1973. The vineyards are farmed organically according to the Suolo and Salute method. The average age of the vines and poor soils lend to a lower yield and higher concentration of character in the grapes. The wines are made with a minimalist approach in the cellar.

All the vineyard work is conducted by hand to ensure that great attention is paid to the selection of the grapes that make it into the wine. The younger grapes make their way into younger wines like the Trebbiolo and the older vines lend their grapes to producing long-aging wines as in the 2012 Macchiona. Since the mid 90’s when Elena took the helm the winery made the decision to cultivate primarily local varieties such as Barbera and Bonarda for their red grapes, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo and Trebbiano for white grapes.

Trebbiolo, their most approachable red, is still proudly flying its freak flag, though they have begun adding a small amount of sulfur for the past few vintages. The funk is only a part of the complexity of this singular blend of Bonarda and Barbera. It's a thick, feral, concentrated wine with notes of fresh fig, red plum, cherry compote, and tomato paste. Chewy and ripe with secondary notes of iron and umami, it is a wine that evokes strong reactions. Love it or hate it, La Stoppa's Trebbiolo is a wine that makes no compromises and is a standard bearer for natural wine in Emilia-Romagna and the world over. Jeremy Hernandez and Jonathan Kemp