Gianluca Colombo

Have you ever heard of singers Darlene Love or Merry Clayton? No? Well, you’ve probably never heard of Piedmontese winemaker Gian Luca Colombo either. Just as we wouldn’t love Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones’ best hits without the accompanying vocals of Darlene and Merry, we wouldn’t have the pleasure of drinking some of Barolo’s finest wines without the input and consultancy of Gian Luca Colombo. Despite his relative youth, the humble Gian Luca Colombo has spent most of his professional life as a consultant winemaker for some of the Langhe’s top producers. With each winery came a different challenge but Gian Luca’s one unwavering constant is the absolute importance of listening to the land, to nature, and to the grapes on the vine.

It was always Gian Luca Colombo’s intention to produce wines under his own name, but only once he had acquired enough experience and knowledge to make what he deems to be the purest, clearest, and best expressions of the land on which he works. For Gian Luca, this means 100% organic practices in the vineyard and the winery, no fining or filtration of any wine and minimal use of sulphur dioxide. The results couldn’t be more impressive! The easy-drinking, playful Nu Vino Rosso (a blend of Pinot Noir, Barbera and Nebbiolo) is the perfect introduction to Gian Luca’s style – delicious and juicy red berry character with a perfect, linear balance and a soft earthiness. His Nebbiolo d’Alba is frankly the best example of this style we’ve ever tasted – all of Nebbiolo’s etherealness with dancing orange blossom, rose petals and violets that linger and linger.

We taste a lot of wines from the Langhe (tough job eh!), it’s one of our specialities and indeed favourite regions. Rarely do we come across a young winemaker producing wines of such maturity, purity, and beautiful fruit expression. Such is Gian Luca’s intention for these wines to be unmistakeably his, he stamps each label with a fingerprint. No longer in the shadows, Gian Luca, and we salute you.