Ferdinando Principiano Langhe Rosso 2020

"Like Dosset, Slarina is slice of Principiano’s bottlings that emphasizes extreme drinkability, due to its low alcohol and the bursting balck and red berries. Slarina a rare grape, and you can find some producers in the Monferrato area that used it to give structure to their Barbera. And, it is a grippy thing! In Principiano’s hands it becomes more spunky and fun than mouth dry-tannins, as most versions tend to do. Ferdinando told us that it is extremely resistant to disease in the vineyard, and this was a reason he planted it..... Ferdinando Principiano is producing world-class elegant and natural wines, with a watermark of traditional Barolo terroir. Ferdinando started in 1993, with 7 hectares from his father and grandfather; he now owns and farms 21 hectares. All farming is uncertified organic, but he goes way beyond the normal organic practices and is obsessed with preserving or creating the conditions for biodiversity in and around his vineyards. This includes buying adjacent forests, and creating a pond at the base of his Boscareto cru that acts as a home for migratory birds, and a chorus of frogs. He works the vineyards by hand, including the use of a scythe, as we’ll see described below in a moment. All cellar work is low intervention." -PortoVino