Brachetto del Piemonte

About this wine

This Brachetto is made from the aromatic Brachetto grape grown in Piemonte, in northwest Italy. It typically shows bright perfume, rose petal, violet, strawberry, and ripe raspberry, with a hint of candied citrus on the lift. On the palate it is lightly sweet and refreshing, with soft, foamy bubbles, light body, and very low tannin, so it feels more like a fruity sparkling red than a structured red wine. Brachetto is commonly made as a frizzante style, with the bubbles created through a second fermentation in pressurized tanks, which helps preserve its fresh floral and berry aromatics. The finish is clean and grapey, with a gentle sweetness balanced by crisp acidity and a delicate, floral aftertaste. Within the broader Piemonte denomination rules, Brachetto based wines are typically dominated by Brachetto fruit, and the style is known for being aromatic, bright, and easy to drink when served cool.

About the grape

Brachetto is an old red grape native to Piedmont, grown mainly in the hills around Asti and Alessandria, where it has long been valued for its strong floral perfume and naturally low tannin. In the Piemonte Brachetto style used for this wine, producers often pick it early, around late August to early September, to keep sugar and alcohol moderate and to preserve the variety’s fragrant character. Local rules for Piemonte Brachetto require Brachetto to be the dominant grape, and many bottlings are made entirely from it, so the winemaking is built around protecting varietal aroma with gentle extraction. The grape is typically planted on the mixed limestone and sandy soils common in these Piedmont hills, and it is also the signature variety behind the nearby Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG, which helped cement Brachetto’s reputation as a regional specialty.

Quick facts

• 🫧 This Brachetto from “Cantine dei Marchesi” is made from 100% Brachetto and bottled at just 5.5% ABV, closer to a spritz strength than most reds.
• 🌺 Marchesi di Barolo’s tasting note calls out an unusually specific floral marker for this wine, geranium flowers, alongside the classic musky aroma.
• 🏛️ Brachetto d’Acqui earned Piedmont’s top DOCG status in 1996, so this style sits in the same top tier as many of Italy’s most protected wines.
• 🏺 Local lore traces Brachetto d’Acqui back to Roman times as “vinum acquense,” a wine once famed for alleged aphrodisiac powers.
• 🏰 The Marchesi di Barolo cellars are in the center of Barolo village right in front of the castle linked to Juliette Colbert and Carlo Tancredi Falletti, the couple credited with shaping “the first Barolo.”

Palate profile