Colombera & Garella's first vintage was 2010 and they almost immediately became the benchmark for the entire Alto Piemonte.

The wines possess such an incredible purity of fruit, precision and fineness that it's impossible not to take notice.

Cristiano Garella grew up in Alto Piemonte and ran Sella, one of the region's benchmark producers. Giacomo Colombera is an old friend of Garella’s and through Giacomo’s family, the two young men had access to some choice sites.

Lessona is a tiny appellation totaling less than 20ha in Northern Piedmont with sandy soils. The region is known for its delicate, feminine and perfumed expressions of Nebbiolo.

Colombera & Garella capture Lessona in an utterly brilliant way. Cristiano Garella likes working reductively and this allows him to render the Lessona with startling clarity and aromatics. There's an incredible gracefulness and energetic mineral backbone.

The 2015 vintage was a riper one, but things cooled down in the months close to the harvest. In these northern climates the ripeness adds an extra dimension to the lithe precision of Colombera & Garella's style. The wine has crystal clear layers of red fruits that are complicated by floral and spice notes and an incisive minerality. It offers a really impressive radiance and finesse.

In addition to his own project, Cristiano Garella consults for a number of the region’s top producers, giving him an understanding of the area that might very well be unrivaled. I strongly encourage you to check out his IDTT interview for a fascinating take on Alto Piemonte’s varied and diverse terroir.

Simply put, these are some of the most exciting wines coming out of Alto Piemonte today. Every time we offer Colombera & Garella, it sells out quickly. We don't expect our allocation to stick around for long.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits