2022 Renzo Castella, Langhe Nebbiolo "Madonnina"

 Since the release of the 2018 vintage, we’ve been preaching the gospel of Renzo Castella and his mind boggling Langhe Nebbiolo. We’re leaving in a golden age of Langhe Nebbiolo, and many good to great examples hit the SommSelect tasting table, but I’ve yet to find one that is as consistently complex, balanced, and joyfully drinkable as Castella’s “Mandonnina.” Each vintage somehow seems better than the last, despite the vagaries of weather, and no matter when a cork gets pulled this wine seems like the perfect call. Indeed, it’s on my short list for the “desert island wine” hall of fame. The 2022 just hit these shores, and every new release always goes super fast. So don’t delay in grabbing as much as you can–it will be great next month, next year, and in five years from now! The story behind today’s extraordinary value begins in the small, hilltop hamlet of Diano d’Alba. In medieval times, Diano was a respected military power in the region that rivaled Alba, itself. But, as the centu