In the northern reaches of the Roero, where sandy, limestone-rich soils rise toward the Langhe on the opposite bank of the Tanaro, the Almondo family has tended vines in Montà for generations. It was Domenico Almondo who, after training in agricultural science, set the estate on its modern course: a focused pursuit of Arneis as a serious, mineral-driven white wine, at a time when the variety was still finding its identity. That ambition remains the guiding thread of the winery today — a small, family-run property where every stage of the work, in vineyard and cellar alike, stays in the family’s hands. We present two expressions of that vision, both drawn from the same historic cru. Bricco delle Ciliegie is the wine that built the estate’s reputation and remains a benchmark for Roero Arneis. It takes its name from the hillside vineyard itself — once planted with cherry trees, hence “ciliegie” — a patchwork of small parcels assembled over the years across the Vittoria Alta hamlet. Vinified mostly in steel with only a small portion resting in neutral oak, it shows the variety at its most precise: bright, saline, and true to its site. Le Rive del Bricco delle Ciliegie takes the same fruit further, giving a portion of the wine time in large, non-toasted barriques to build texture and depth alongside the vineyard’s natural minerality. The result is a more structured, savoury Arneis — still fresh and vertical, but with greater weight and a longer, chalkier finish.
Together, the two wines offer a study in contrast from a single hillside: one lean and immediate, the other patient and layered — both unmistakably Almondo.
