2018 Chardonnay

Andrea Barmaz and his wife Elvira Rini run this gorgeous little mountain top domaine, founded 20 years ago. The estate’s name is a play on the couple’s two family names and also the typical Valle d’Aosta barrels used to transport wine and often used as kegs at local parties. A family-run estate (only four people and a few other family members work there), Di Barrò boasts three hectares and makes a number of outstanding wines from Mayolet, Cornalin and Moscato Bianco, though very good wines are also made from Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. All the wines spend many months on the lees and are bottled unfiltered. More good news is that the couple’s 21-year-old son Matteo and 25-year-old daughter have recently been talking about working full time at the estate, which would guarantee continuity for what is one of the region’s smaller but in many ways also one of the most important estates (for instance, the couple’s work with, and dedication to, the difficult but outstanding Mayolet variety is nothing short of admirable). The estate produces roughly 18,000–20,000 bottles a year that are gobbled up rather quickly in local circles, so it may be tough to buy these wines outside of the Valle d’Aosta, but they are worth looking out for.