(2023) 100% Pinot Noir. Carlo says his valley always gives very aromatic Pinot, in both dry and sparkling wines - even the freshly picked grapes have pronounced strawberry and red fruit aromas. This coppery-pink wine certainly has some strawberry on the nose, also a touch of truffly smokiness, a hint of white pepper too. It is indeed aromatic. The wine is Brut, but in the mouth has a dry, small redcurrant fruit character, a little custardy richness, but the acid here from vineyards at over 400 metres is key. Flavourful rosé, and precise.

(2020) Who doesn't love a wine like this occasionally?  Is it red or rosé? Well, that's a moot point but it's nice to include this cherry-pink wine here as it certainly captures the summery spirit of rosé wines. This Piedmont wine is gently sparkling and off-dry, a counterpoint to the low alcohol Moscatos of the region with only 7% abv. Made from the Brachetto grape grown in the town of Acqui Terme, the wine is stored 0°C in Banfi’s 19th century cellars. It is frothy and offer a gorgeous pot-pourri of liquidised strawberry, pepper and sherbet with a touch of dark chocolate to boot. Mouthfilling, creamy and sweet, that pulpy strawberry sundae sweetness is balanced by just the right level of acidity and a hint of stemmy earthiness, into a long finish. Perfect summer in garden stuff.