$42.99 6+ bottles (code: 6saves2)

Our Take: Light ruby core, transparent like Nebbiolo should be. Elegant and unexpectedly alpine in character, this Nebbiolo opens with aromas of wild mountain cherry, rose petal, and crushed herbs, layered with hints of orange peel and stone. The palate is lifted and precise, with vibrant acidity, fine youthful tannins, and a mineral backbone that carries through a long, graceful finish. Tasted 3 times over 2 days.

Thanks to the estate's high elevation and cool growing conditions, McLachlan's Nebbiolo is typically harvested 10 to 14 days after harvest has concluded in Barolo. The fruit is meticulously hand-sorted before being transported to the Roagna winery in Castiglione Falletto, where it is destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in large wooden vats. Extended maceration lasts 30 to 50 days, depending on the vintage, utilizing both traditional pump-overs and the submerged-cap (capello sommerso) method.

The wine is then crafted according to Roagna's time-honored philosophy, maturing for 24 months in small oak botti before bottling and resting for an additional one to two years prior to release. Like Roagna's own Langhe Rosso, McLachlan's wine is labeled simply as Vino Rosso, a designation that provides complete freedom from the appellation's regulations governing vineyard origin and winemaking methods, allowing the wine to express the site and vintage without compromise.

The winery takes its name from the property's historic designation, Località San Lorenzo, with "Alto" reflecting its lofty, high-elevation setting. Its flagship wine, Bellaluce—Italian for beautiful light—carries a fitting double meaning. It honors both the extraordinary light that bathes this spectacular hillside vineyard and the luminous, fleeting light that photographers chase in pursuit of the perfect image.

After spending years photographing some of Italy's greatest wines, Canadian-American photographer Clay McLachlan finally set out to make one of his own. In 2015, he planted just over one hectare of Nebbiolo on the steep slopes surrounding his home in Bonvicino (just southeast of the Barolo zone), high in Piedmont's Alta Langa at elevations between 610 and 650 meters—a site where hazelnuts and sparkling wine grapes are far more common than Nebbiolo.

McLachlan first arrived in Piedmont in 2005, purchasing and restoring a historic stone farmhouse overlooking Dogliani, which today serves as a thoughtfully curated guest retreat. With guidance from Luca and Alfredo Roagna, his long-held ambition became reality as the vineyard took shape above the property. The inaugural 2018 vintage yielded just 50 cases, but production has steadily increased, allowing small allocations to reach both the U.S. and the local Piedmont market.