Renato Corino is a new name for me. It’s a relatively young estate founded in 2005 although with plenty of pedigree. The vineyards are located in some exceptional La Morra Crus, such as Roncaglie, and Renato is mentored by local star Luciano Sandrone, who is also his cousin. The wines share some of Sandrone’s modern style and approachability, which makes them easy to enjoy from a young age, although the nebbiolo also has some good aging potential.
Renato Corino Dolcetto d’Alba 2019
91 Points
This is quite a serious version of dolcetto which has both the fun, juicy fruits of the variety as well as some decent, almost barbera-like structure. It’s another good example of how dolcetto can perform well given some effort in the winery and vineyard.
It has a rich colour and fragrant, inviting fruits – juicy black cherry with dried herbs plus a touch of violet lift. Oak also sits in the background for support. It’s a bit more serious than expected on the palate with an acid driven core of dark fruits with light, but rustic tannins that give energy to the finish. It’s a food style and best with some pizza classics.
Renato Corino Barbera d’Alba 2019
92 Points
A modern style of Barbera that boasts both generous fruit but also well integrated tannins and acidity for a wine that is so young. It has got that beautiful purity of fleshy just ripe dark cherries seen in the best barbera with an attractive side-serve of gamey/meaty complexity. Plush, fleshy and mouthfilling, the palate is open-knit with fresh acidity and supple tannins with the finish dominated by some tarry complexity – great wine for a classic basil pesto dish.
Renato Corino Langhe Nebbiolo 2019
93 Points
A really impressive Langhe Nebbiolo with the class you’d expect from earlier drinking Barolo styles. It’s delicate youthful colour only hints at what is on offer – a subtle, fragrant and haunting nebbiolo with red cherry, pepper, potpourri and floral aromas – it’s so very pretty and hard to put down. Balance is key to the palate – crisp acid and silky tannins support layers of subtle tobacco accented fruits through to a long and fine finish. A delicious nebbiolo for anyone new to the king of Italian wines – enjoy with a platter of antipasto and cheese.
