Banfi La Lus Albarossa 2021

La Lus is produced by Banfi's Piedmont operation and showcases Albarossa, one of Italy's more unusual modern grape varieties. Albarossa was created in 1938 by Professor Giovanni Dalmasso and has links to two of Piedmont's great grapes, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Banfi became involved in the development of the variety in the early 2000s, with the first La Lus vintage produced in 2006.

The vineyards are planted on clay-limestone soils and trained using the traditional Guyot system. Banfi regarded 2021 as an excellent vintage, with warm, sunny conditions towards harvest and significant differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures helping the grapes achieve excellent aromatic and phenolic ripeness.

After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is matured for 12 months in French oak barriques. This adds vanilla, tobacco and spice to Albarossa's naturally vibrant fruit while softening the tannins and creating the velvety texture that defines La Lus.

This is a full-bodied, dry Italian red, but despite its richness it is remarkably smooth and approachable.

Think ripe cherry and red berries with vanilla, liquorice and a little tobacco, rather than a very dry or aggressively tannic style. The fruit gives it plenty of immediate appeal, while the French oak provides the richer, smoother character you'd expect from a more premium red.

If you enjoy Barbera, Valpolicella Ripasso or smooth oak-aged Italian reds, La Lus should be right up your street. It has plenty of flavour and body without becoming overly heavy.

In simple terms: rich, smooth and velvety, with ripe red fruit, gentle spice and a long finish.