Azienda Agricola Bruna “Russeghine”
Liguria, Italy | 2023
Last summer this wine got so much praise from our wine club members that we had to bring it back one more time! This vintage shows subtle differences from the previous, but still just as heart-poundingly delicious. We were able to procure the last few bottles remaining in Chicago for this month, so sadly this one will not be available for further purchase outside of the club.
Tucked into the steep, terraced hillsides of western Liguria, Bruna’s “Russeghine” is a radiant expression of Pigato, a grape often considered a biotype of Vermentino but known for its deeper aromatics and coastal texture. This bottling is grown on the eponymous Russeghine vineyard which has been in the Bruna family since the 18th century. This vineyard is less than one hectare and is set high in the hills above the quaint village of Ranzo Borgo. The old vines - some over 50 years of age - dig into iron-rich red clay soils, producing fruit with incredible depth, salinity, and wild herb complexity. The 2023 vintage offers layers of ripe citrus, stone fruit, Mediterranean scrub, and a mineral edge that channels the nearby Ligurian Sea.
Liguria is often left out of conversations about Italy’s great white wines, but it shouldn’t be. The region’s low production volume isn’t due to a lack of quality, but to its extreme geography and limited arable land. Viticulture here is an act of devotion. Bruna’s estate consists of just 8 hectares scattered across six terraced plots in the Arroscia Valley. Their entire annual production for all of their wines is fewer than 3000 cases of which very few make it to the US. Everything is farmed organically, and the family treats each vineyard as its own ecosystem. Founded in the 1970s and family-run to this day, Bruna is widely considered the benchmark for Pigato in Italy.
The result of Bruna’s meticulous craftsmanship is a white wine that is simultaneously bright and mouth-coating, deeply mineral and unmistakably Mediterranean. Pigato’s versatility at the table is also unmatched - pairing with grilled fish and fresh lemon, shellfish, and citrus-dressed salads are naturals, but it also excels with more assertive pairings like artichokes, bitter greens, and rabbit braised in white wine.