Product information

Olek Bondonio Rosso Guillietta Pelaverga 2021

Pelaverga Piccolo from Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy

$83

$79ea in any 3+
$75ea in any 6+
Alc: 14.5%
Closure: Nomacorc

Description

Very pale colour. Olek’s hallmark harmony & development, complexity & balance. Together & composed.

Stylistically you could argue that it’s a light red or bold Rosé. Either way it’s delicious.

A core of vibrant strawberry fruit & musk with a slatey pop & earthy layer. Charming, energetic with loads of zippy, crunchy acid and fine tannin combining into a pleasantly chalky mouthfeel. Thirst quenching with a very complete feel to it. I shall be seeking more Pelaverga Piccolo to try!

Bondonio has the only plantation of Pelaverga Piccolo, considered the highest-quality iteration of this variety, outside of the commune of Verduno. Many years ago Olek’s grandfather planted four rows of these vines in the Roncagliette vineyard, one of the finest cru of Barbaresco!

A portion of the fruit comes from younger vines in Altavilla. 2021 had around 2 weeks maceration on skins (til the end of fermentation) in stainless steel. Depending on the vintage, a short élévage is done in neutral barrels afterward.

Pelaverga is the grape variety, which you are not allowed to put on a bottle unless it’s grown in Verduno. Italian wine fun facts! I opened a bottle of this at the winery (no capsule on it), and it was so dark and brooding, I thought ‘bloody hell! this is unusual’, though it turns out it was a bottling of the pressings not to be released for sale.

Pale red. Strawberry and pepper, a fine ‘mineral feel’, fine dusty/peppery tannin and slight sour cherry edge to a long fresh finish. A subtle earthy character is in the mix. Wonderful wine. I love this grape variety.

Gary Walsh, TWF 94 Points

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Check out all of the wines by Olek Bondonio

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Depending on the vintage, a short élévage is done in neutral barrels afterward. Unfined, unfiltered, with moderate amounts of SO2 (10-20ppm max) added just before bottling.

About Olek Bondonio

Olek Bondonio is certainly not your typical Italian winemaker. He loves surfing, snowboarding and has a penchant bordering on the obsessive for Vegemite. After studying oenology he embarked on a few years of travel where he traversed the globe doing as many vintages as he could. This exposure to different soil types, various traditions and diverse approaches in both the cellar and vineyard resulted in his fascination with a sense of place and a drive to best express that through his wines. His production epitomizes the saying that great wine is made in the vineyard, where he works tirelessly to grow healthy fruit without synthetic additions or chemical input. He continues to cultivate grapes that have long been planted in that zone such as Barbera, Pelaverga, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo.

Even if Olek is making wines under his own label since 2004, his farm, La Berchialla, has been in the family for over 200 years and is a remarkable property sitting atop the hill of Cru Roncagliette (which incidentally is the same vineyard of Gaja Sori Tildin).

Where in the World is Olek Bondonio?

Head south along west border of the region and you’ll find Roncaglietti named Sori Tildin by Gaja. In the center north in the commune of Nieve you’ll find Straderi.

94 Points

Pelaverga is the grape variety, which you are not allowed to put on a bottle unless it’s grown in Verduno. Italian wine fun facts! I opened a bottle of this at the winery (no capsule on it), and it was so dark and brooding, I thought ‘bloody hell! this is unusual’, though it turns out it was a bottling of the pressings not to be released for sale.

Pale red. Strawberry and pepper, a fine ‘mineral feel’, fine dusty/peppery tannin and slight sour cherry edge to a long fresh finish. A subtle earthy character is in the mix. Wonderful wine. I love this grape variety.

Gary Walsh, TWF

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Olek Bondonio Cantina E Vigneti, Strada Riccardo Terzolo, Barbaresco, Province of Cuneo, Italy

Barbaresco
Piedmont
Italy

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