Matteo Correggia 'La Val dei Preti' Roero Arneis DOCG, Italy

Bottle age brings another dimension to 2018 Matteo Correggia 'La Val dei Preti' Roero Arneis DOCG, a dry, 13% ABV white that explores Arneis beyond its familiar youthful expression. Drawn from a single vineyard planted in 1996, it combines stainless-steel winemaking with partial skin contact and extended maturation before release. Pear, honeysuckle and lemon pith meet dried-fruit and earthy nuances, offering a textured, quietly complex alternative to a freshly bottled white.

Product Details:

• Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 13%.
• Grape Variety: 100% Arneis.
• Vineyard: La Val dei Preti, a single vineyard planted in 1996.
• Soils: Predominantly sandy, with silt and clay.
• Exposure & Elevation: South-facing, approximately 270 meters above sea level.
• Vine Training: Vertical trellising with Guyot pruning.
• Planting Density: Approximately 5,500 vines per hectare.
• Harvest: Manual.
• Vinification: Approximately two-thirds gently pressed and one-third fermented with skin contact; the skin-contact portion spends approximately one week on its skins.
• Fermentation: Temperature-controlled stainless steel.
• Maturation: Stainless-steel lees aging followed by extended bottle maturation before release.
• Oak: Unoaked.
• Winemakers: Luca Rostagno and Giovanni Correggia.

Sensory Description:

Gold-tinted in the glass, this mature Arneis opens with pear and dried white-fruit aromas, joined by delicate honeysuckle and a subtle earthy undertone. Lemon-pith character adds definition to the palate, while lees-derived breadth gives the wine a rounded, medium-bodied feel. Gentle acidity supports its developed flavors, and a light phenolic grip brings texture to the dry finish. The appeal lies in the interplay between retained freshness, floral detail, and the savory complexity of bottle age.

Awards & Accolades:

• Decanter, 93 Points: Awarded to the 2018 vintage. “It's characterised by mild-mannered acidity and a touch of grip on the dry, satisfying finish.”

Winemaker’s Background:

Matteo Correggia helped establish Roero’s reputation for ambitious, site-driven wines after taking charge of the family estate in 1985. Following his death in 2001, Ornella Costa Correggia continued the business with the support of the cellar team. Longtime winemaker Luca Rostagno and Matteo’s son Giovanni now carry that work forward, combining close attention to individual vineyards with experimentation in fermentation, maturation and closures. La Val dei Preti Arneis expresses that curiosity through partial skin contact, screwcap closure and a deliberate period of bottle aging before release.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at 10–12°C in a medium-sized white wine glass, allowing the wine to warm slightly as its aromas develop. Taste before deciding whether additional air is needed. Vitello tonnato, mushroom risotto, roast chicken with herbs and butter-sautéed white fish complement its texture and savory maturity. For smaller plates, try aged mountain cheese, roasted hazelnuts, or a mushroom tart. Enjoy as a mature white, with further development depending on storage and individual bottle condition.