Barbera & Bonarda, Emilia-Romagna, Italy 

The wine version of Pinocchio turning into a ‘real boy’ – serious metamorphosis going on here. La Stoppa wines are genuine and tightly linked to their Northern Italian land of origin. A revolutionary in her own way, winemaker Elena Panteoni has dramatically changed ‘La Stoppa’ since her tenure began in 1991. Made from the estate's oldest vines (approx. 65 years old), grown on silty-clay soils and farmed organically – wild plants flourishing between rows, and you won’t find any fertilizers here! Harvested by hand, the juice is fermented with local yeasts in concrete and stainless steel, macerated with the skins for 45 days, aged for about three years in Slavonian oak botti (very large), and FINALLY, bottled unfiltered and aged for at least two more years before release. FUN FACT! Wines are released only when they are ready, often in non-sequential order, hence this almost 21yr old hero. Unmistakably ‘La Stoppa’ in style, with integrated grip, cherries wearing leather chaps, that lightning cooked mushroom in Ratatouille (2007), mosto cotto, tree bark, wild fennel & tart raspberries. ‘Macchiona’ translates to ‘stain’, so we recommend pouring alongside you designated ‘dirty whites’, the ones you save for painting, disgorging & drinking unstoppable wines, you clumsy lil lovebug.