The Pelissero family are deeply rooted in the Langhe, proudly proclaiming their 'peasant DNA'. They have been bottling their own wine for three generations, beginning in 1960 "using artisanal methods in a small cellar on the ground floor of (their) home". They have always focused their efforts upon the great native grapes of Langhe - nebbiolo, barbera, and dolcetto, as well as tiny amounts of freisa, favorita, and moscato. From humble beginnings they have increased their production to 250,000 bottles a year, produced from 38 hectares of small plots spread across Treiso (where their home is located), Neive, Barbaresco, and Nevighe. Today the family business is run by the youthful and dynamic Giorgio Pelissero, who is passionately committed to preserving the viticultural heritage of his family and their native region.

The wines are no longer made in the Pelissero's home - there is now a modern winery located at Augenta, the location of the family's biggest vineyard plot. At 410 metres, this is as high-altitude as vineyards get in Barbaresco: the panoramic view of the majestic Alps - seeming somehow to encircle the property - is unforgettable. Classic soils of sandstone, limestone, and blue marl combine with the high altitude to create ideal growing conditions, producing harmonious wines blessed with fresh acidity and great depth of fruit.

Today we are offering tiny quantities of two classic Barbarescos. Vanotu is a very special wine for the Pelissero family: its name is derived from the diminutive form of Giovanni, the name of Giorgio's grandfather. The vines were planted in 1964, in calcareous soils at an altitude of 350 metres. It is aged for 20/22 months in barriques, 80% of which are new, then aged in bottle for an additional 9 months. It is eminently cellar-worthy. Tulin contains fruit from vines planted in 1950 and 1971; in order to produce a more forward style, it is a 50/50 blend of lots fermented in stainless steel and oak. Pelissero's wines present a lovely expression of nebbiolo's suppleness and fragrance as well as delivering tremendous potential to age.