Le Marne Grigie Langhe Rosso 2022, Matteo Correggia

Le Marne Grigie means “the gray marls,” a reference to the deep subsoil beneath this hilltop vineyard in Santo Stefano Roero. Here, Matteo Correggia planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc to see how international varieties would translate through the sandy soils of his native Roero.

The west-facing site sits approximately 305 to 315 meters above sea level, with soil composed of 69% fine sand. The fruit is harvested by hand beginning in October, followed by eight to ten days of skin maceration in stainless steel. The wine then matures for at least 16 months in small barrels and another year in bottle before release.

Full-bodied but composed, the 2022 offers ripe plum, black cherry and blackberry layered with pepper, dried herbs, eucalyptus and cedar. The fruit is generous, while firm, polished tannins and a savory mineral finish keep the wine firmly grounded. It is a distinctive meeting of Bordeaux varieties and Piedmontese sensibility, built to drink now with a little air or develop further in the cellar. Serve with braised beef, roasted lamb, game, mushroom ragù, grilled portobellos or aged cheeses.

About the Winery

Matteo Correggia was a true visionary in Roero, Italy. He saw the potential of his land before many others and worked hard to put it on the map. Although Matteo passed away many years ago, his children and widow have taken over the family business, and his son, Giovanni, now runs the show!

Roero is a small town to the north of the more famous Piedmont wine regions, Barolo and Barbaresco, but more importantly, it is on the other side of the Po river, and its soils are much younger. Even more importantly, those soils are loaded with sand. And seashells! When you come to the store, ask us about the seashells we saw when we visited this wonderful place in 2013. Sand has a tendency to bring out the aromatics of wine grapes, especially when compared with the clay soils of Barolo and Barbaresco. So even though the grapes grown in this commune are the same ones grown in other parts of northern Italy, their expression is more exuberant, and in our eyes, more enticing!