{"product_id":"massimo-clerico-lessona-2021","title":"Massimo Clerico Lessona 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the rarest Nebbiolo appellations in all of Piemonte is here… Lessona! This tiny Alto Piemonte DOC turns out some of the most perfumed, silky, downright elegant Nebbiolo you'll ever meet, and this 2021 comes from a family that's farmed the same hills since the 1700s. A steal at 30 bucks… for the Nebbiolo nerd who loves a great story. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Barolo and Barbaresco hog all the Nebbiolo spotlight, Lessona is the tiny, under-the-radar (yet much-loved) secret hiding up in the northern reaches of Piemonte. And when we say tiny, we mean it – the entire appellation is somewhere around 20 to 35 hectares, making it one of the smallest in all of Piemonte. Lessona comes from the Latin \u003cem\u003e“laesa sum”\u003c\/em\u003e – \u003cem\u003e\"I am wounded\"\u003c\/em\u003e – and the town's coat of arms is five bleeding wounds, the idea being that the vines wound the earth and the red wine flows out. A little gothic for a wine this pretty, but it fits a place so old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the vines are incredibly special, ancient sandy soils of marine origin, left over from when this whole corner of Italy sat beneath the sea. Those acidic, mineral-packed sands are the reason Lessona tastes like something totally its own. Where Barolo comes at you with power, tar, and gripping tannin, Lessona does the exact opposite – pale, wildly perfumed, silky, and gifted with elegance rather than force. These are Nebbiolos you can actually pour with fish, which almost feels wrong to say. The Clerico family has serious credibility to pull it off, too. They've worked this land since the 1700s, and their estate was one of just three original vineyards awarded the Lessona appellation when it was created in 1976. This bottling is 100% Nebbiolo off Massimo's own parcels, sitting on those marine sands at roughly 350 meters above sea level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's a wonderful, almost nostalgic thread running through this wine – a woodsy, pencil-shavings-and-fresh-eraser character, like the top of an old wooden school desk, that frames a soft core of red berries and dried florals. Roses and red woodland berries come lifting out of the glass, and underneath it all sits that savory, faintly salty mineral edge that Lessona's iron- and manganese-rich sands are famous for. Bright acidity, gentle tannins, and a genuinely elegant, ethereal feel. It's drinking beautifully right now, but the noble tannins and vibrant acidity give it real aging potential – so grab a couple, drink one this month, and tuck one away. If you don’t, I will!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFOOD PAIRINGS: Skip anything fussy and go for a simple roast chicken with crispy, salty skin and bursting tomatoes and potatoes underneath to catch all those flavorful drippings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Bottle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53377024983337,"sku":"1015692","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0793\/2706\/8457\/files\/MassimoClericoLessona2021_1015692_FB_Rack.jpg?v=1785536420","url":"https:\/\/firstbottlewines.com\/products\/massimo-clerico-lessona-2021","provider":"First Bottle Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}