Winemaker: Francesca Diliberto
Where: Barolo, Piemonte
Size: 0,4 ha own vineyard, otherwise Barbaresco & Veglio bought grapes
Main Varieties: Nebbiolo & Freisa
Viticulture: Organic Certified
Quick note: Sommelier to winemaker, but originally from Piemonte!
Francesca is a dear friend of ours, who we have been drinking and discussing wines with for years now, and have somewhat grown together in our understanding of wines.
Originally from the southern part of Piemonte, Francesca moved to London to study, where she spent 10 years working as a sommelier and buyer at some of the best restaurants in the city. After years of pouring wines, Francesca turned to winemaking and sought experience working with winemakers such as Nino Baracco, Julie Balagny, Cascina Tavijn, Philine Isabelle, Ceretto & Vaira Aurelj.
Her own first vintage is 2024 with two wines; Langhe Freisa & a single barrel Langhe Nebbiolo. The Freisa is organic grapes from Barbaresco, and the Nebbiolo is organic grapes from Veglio. In her first two vintages, the Nebbiolo grapes came from Roberto Patelli in the Santa Rosalia area, and from 2026 Francesca also started to work a plot of Barbera in Verduno which she is now renting. This vineyard is planted mostly on clay, with an average vine age of around 20-25 years, and a total size of about 0,65 ha where 2026 will be the first vintage.
Francesca has taken the best from each of her past experiences, and works with much thought and consideration in the every-day decision-making. Like us, she believes great wines are made by the million everyday decisions along the way through the whole year. In the cellar she works with ‘low-intervention’ (aka a lot of work!), pied de cuvée fermentation, steel tanks & barrels, remontage or pigeage, some slight SO2 additions normally after MLF, and at bottling.
In her first years she worked tirelessly establishing a winery, and also reestablishing an abandoned vineyard in Novello. Which, from 2025, is approved for the DOCG Barolo Novello. This 0,4 ha vineyard ‘Barolo Cerviano Merli’ is accessible down a steep dirt track, but sits at 400m south-east facing elevation, on 75% Silt/25% Clay soil. Ideally she aims to plant her own Freisa and Nebbiolo to ensure her own quality fruit.
Francesca is someone we immediately bonded with, and we have both great trust and great expectations for her future as an incredible and thoughtful winemaker.
