The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Emilia-Romagna

DOCStill huntingModerate

Colli Piacentini DOC

Piacenza's hills border Lombardy's Oltrepò Pavese and share its habit of fizzy reds and aromatic whites. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica is the signature white, floral and grapey with sage and dried apricot, made dry, frizzante, sweet or as a passito. Bonarda (Croatina) is dark, plummy and tannic, usually frizzante. Gutturnio and Ortrugo were carved out into their own DOCs in 2010, so this label now covers everything else, including some serious still Malvasia and Pinot Nero from La Stoppa, Torre Fornello and Lusenti.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Lusenti
Colli Piacentini Malvasia Frizzante Emiliana
Cloudy, dry, bottle-refermented Malvasia; orange blossom, sage, apricot, with a bitter twist.
$16 to $22Wine-Searcher
La Stoppa
Colli Piacentini Malvasia Passito Vigna del Volta
Elena Pantaleoni's dried-grape Malvasia; candied orange, honey, dried fig, cut by acidity; Louis/Dressner import.
$40 to $55Wine-Searcher
Torre Fornello
Colli Piacentini Malvasia Donna Luigia
Still, dry Malvasia with rose petal, lychee and a saline, medium-bodied palate.
$18 to $25Wine-Searcher