Piedmont’s eastern edge is a slice of undiscovered country. Once upon a time, there was a thriving wine trade here in the hills above Tortona, but when the central part of Piedmont ascended behind names like Asti and Barolo, the Tortonesi hills were too far from main street, and the local wine tradition became an ever more local curiosity. The appellation rules allow enormous latitude in this low-stakes environment. It’s a perfect place for curious winemakers like Chiara Penati and Michele Conoscente, a young couple from Milan who have left behind careers at larger conventional operations to found their own organic vineyard and reclaim a slice of local history. This Bianco is a blend mostly made of three eastern Piedmont classics: Cortese, Favorita, and Timorasso, a three part blend that offers a balance of fresh fruit, floral complexity, and smoke-tinted depth. Aromas begin with preserved lemon, Red Delicious apple, acacia and smoky soil. The palate continues with more lemon and apple rounding out to peach notes, with almond and rosemary that linger on the finish.