The Winery Villa Purple of Dolcetto d'Alba of Piémont

It’s no easy task to establish a super-premium wine in an entirely new region, particularly when inviting potential retail partners or distributors to the vineyard involves journeying to a distant corner of the Himalayas in the outer reaches of the Yunnan province, southwestern China. For my journey, after four flights from Bordeaux to Shanghai, Chengdu then Shangri-La, it was a four-hour drive up through stunning mountain passes to the foothills (here, that means 2,200m above sea level) of the ...

The De Marchi family established the 56ha estate back in 1956, and it is now firmly established as one of the region’s leading producers. Isole e Olena played a key role in reviving the quality of Chianti in the 1970s, and its flagship wine – Cepparello, a barrique-aged Sangiovese from old vines – is regarded as one of the original Super Tuscans. A Piedmont lawyer called Francesco De Marchi founded the business, but his visionary son – Paulo De Marchi – has driven its rise to prominence. He is r ...

On 28 October 2022, the second edition of Barolo en primeur will take place. A collaboration between the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation, CRC Donare Foundation, and the Consorzio di tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, it’s an auction of unique Barolo wines with social responsibility at it’s heart, aiding local not-for-profit organisations and charities, as well as those further afield. As with last year’s auction, 14 barriques will be auctioned by Christie’s simul ...