Renzo’s ‘Sori della Rivolia’ Dolcetto is a superb example of what the grape can achieve when treated with care: he uses neither pesticides nor herbicides in his vineyards, and vinifies using traditional methods, working the way his father’s father did in the tiny village of Diano, farming and bottling with the cycles of the moon. Uncomplicated by oak or over-extraction, the wine possesses an impressive purity of fruit and delicate floral undertones while retaining just a touch of Italian rusticity. Intense waves of pulpy purple plum rush over crushed violets, blackberries, roasted almond, and clove at the onset. Dense yet vibrant on the palate, black cherry fruit is framed by plentiful fine tannins and savory suggestions of dried herbs, leather, earth, and black pepper. Fresh, laser-focused, and appetizingly tannic, with an overall seductive personality and lots of food-friendly acidity, this is an easy weeknight pop and pour still with loads of sophistication.
Renzo Castella's decades-old, pesticide and herbicide-free vineyards comprise just 8 hectares of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, a wee bit of Barbera and Riesling, and hug the borderline between Diano D’Alba (one of only seven villages to be granted DOCG status for Dolcetto) and Serralunga, Barolo. If you look at a geological map of the Langhe, you can literally see the small vein of limestone creeping over the border from Barolo and into Renzo's backyard, but essentially nowhere else in Diano – it's a supremely unique and impressive micro-terroir, and is ideally situated to grow both Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, of which Renzo has become a master. Although the Castella family has been farming the same vines since the early 1900s and Renzo is deeply experienced and has a formal oenological education, he seemingly has zero ego, or any desire to become famous or ‘build his brand.’ (There is no flashy website, no tasting room…only a small stone cellar that shares a driveway with the home of his parents.) The wines are delicious, deliver absurdly high QPR value (and as such have become ‘darlings’ of the sommelier community), and we are excited to have them in store for the first time for this month’s club.
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to all states EXCEPT Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.
This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to Biondivino. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
During periods of extreme weather, we recommend postponing your wine shipment via ground services to ensure the safest conditions of your order. Neither Biondivino nor our freight carriers will accept liability for weather-related damage. During business hours, orders are immediately packaged and scheduled for delivery. Orders may not be cancelled once they have been shipped (in the possession of the shipping carrier). A re-routing may be requested by the customer after shipment, but the customer will be responsible for any associated fees charged by the shipping carrier.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to all states EXCEPT Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.
This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to Biondivino. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
During periods of extreme weather, we recommend postponing your wine shipment via ground services to ensure the safest conditions of your order. Neither Biondivino nor our freight carriers will accept liability for weather-related damage. During business hours, orders are immediately packaged and scheduled for delivery. Orders may not be cancelled once they have been shipped (in the possession of the shipping carrier). A re-routing may be requested by the customer after shipment, but the customer will be responsible for any associated fees charged by the shipping carrier.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).