Ezio Poggio Lunatico Bianco Frizzante Colli Tortonesei 2024

The Colli Tortonesi in Piemonte is the spiritual home of Timorasso, a gloriously structured white grape that was nearly lost to history before a handful of devoted growers coaxed it back. Fanning out from Monte Giarolo's 1,473-meter peak, five river valleys have carved out this patchwork region over the centuries, each with its own microclimate. But the subzone of Libarna, in the Val Borbera, is the most extreme of them all – the southernmost growing area yet, paradoxically, the highest, topping out at a lofty 650 meters.

This is where Ezio Poggio planted his flag. Cupped by the northernmost reach of the Apennines, amid ancient silence and truffle-hunter footpaths, his vines sit on limestone and clay soils where the wind howls and summer nights plunge to 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Those dramatic swings mean a later harvest and, in Ezio's words, wines of “verticalità ed acidità spiccata” – vertical, laser-focused, and racy with acidity. Rather than the textural richness of Timorasso grown further north, Libarna coaxes out the grape's green, herbal side… green tea, thyme, and under-ripe stone fruit, all wrapped up in a lithe, low-alcohol frame. Ezio's first vintage here was 2008, following four years of patiently propagating vines by massale selection – and today the farming is organic.

Made the old-school way with a secondary fermentation in bottle (“rifermentato in bottiglia”), the 2024 Lunatico is pure, joyful energy in a glass. Apples take center stage on both the nose and palate – crisp green apple along with a touch of under-ripe apricot — like a grown-up, sophisticated take on the sparkling apple cider of your childhood. There's a tingly touch of white pepper and that signature green-tea lift, plus hints of citrus oil, wild herbs, and a saline snap on the finish. Best of all is the mousse – extremely vibrant, crisp, and alive, with a gentle fizz that keeps you enticed and sipping leisurely away. Whatever you do, don't let this one wax and wane out of stock. It’s a natural with fried foods, cheese, or brunch, and as much a delight on its own – so grab a few before it disappears behind the clouds!