Lifted Langhe: Bondonio and a New Clos Rougeard Alumni

by Fionn

Piedmont and the Loire doing what they do best: lifted Nebbiolo, nervy Chenin, and one very convincing new Cab Franc obsession.

This was one of those sneaky-great emails where at first glance you think, nice, a few bottles, and then five minutes later you've mentally spent far more than intended. A dangerous genre.

Olek Bondonio Never Misses

Let's start in Piedmont with Olek Bondonio, whose wines continue to be some of the most exciting coming out of the region. The headline bottle for us is the declassified Langhe Nebb. Top fruit, less money, no need to overthink it.

Then there is the silky Barbera, plus the last little bit of Starderi and Roncagliette for anyone wanting to go full send.

Etienne Bodet Is The Real Deal

The second half of the drop introduced Etienne Bodet, and honestly, we were pretty blown away. The CV alone is enough to get your attention, but thankfully the wines back it all up.

The Chenin is layered and proper. The Clarum is deep pink and very much our sort of thing. But the star might be the whole-bunch-lifted Cab Franc, which had us thinking mini Clos Rougeard without feeling remotely derivative.

A Few Extra Temptations

As if that wasn't enough, there were also back vintages from Werlitsch, Rouges Queues and Ar.Pe.Pe. lurking online, just in case your basket still had a bit of room.

Shop The Drop

Quietly one of the best recent drops for drinkers who like their wines lifted, detailed, and a little bit dangerous to the monthly budget.

Source note: This post is adapted from Parched's February 17, 2026 newsletter, preserving the original editorial thrust and source links while reshaping the piece for the blog.