Tre Donne
Piedmont - Italy
The Winery
Much as he loved his daughters, back in the 1980s, winemaker Alessandro Lequio was hesitant to hand his family’s winemaking tradition over to women. “Just marry a good winemaker,” he would tell them. Just as stubborn as their father, however, Rosanna, Daniela and Antonella all staunchly refuted this notion, assuring him that they would one day earn his trust. In the end – and assuming they’d concede - he agreed to turn everything over if they could pass three years of rigorous enological tests, culminating in a single vintage which he, himself would judge. To everyone’s surprise, the sisters persisted. Moreover, they actually won more awards in their first year of production (1988) than Alessandro had in his entire career! Deeply impressed, and true to his word, Sandro handed the estate over to his daughters, even allowing them to initiate the “Tre Donne” brand.
While everyone in the family (yes, even the men) lend a hand with the wines, today this 15-hectare, soil-to-bottle estate continues to be run by women. Rosanna, the middle sister, manages all aspects of production (along with her husband, Piernicola, who’s often the social face of the estate); Daniela, the youngest sister, runs point in the cellar and is assisted by her two daughters, Alice and Elisa (ages 17 and 15), both of whom are studying enology in Alba; Antonella, the eldest sister, keeps everything ship-shape and oversees the company’s finances. Even Donna Bruna, their mother, is still going strong at 80 years – among other things, she still supervises the harvest!
To clarify, Tre Donne owns 15 hectares in Neive and have long-term contracts to lease a few additional hectares outside the Barbaresco zone, allowing them to also produce Barolo and Gavi di Gavi. Altitudes on their hill, Serragrilli, range from 190-300 meters, and they have a significant rotation of old vines. Their youngest Barbera vines are 30 years old, for example, and the Nebbiolo for their cru Barbaresco was planted in 1951! While non-certified, vines are cultivated organically, and the estate is officially part of Piedmont’s “Green Experience” program. (Certification requirements are similar to those for the EU’s “bio” label, and also include maintaining habitats for various birds and the protection of pollinators. For more information, you can visit this website: https://www.thegreenexperience.it.

- Enologist
- Gianfranco Cordero
- Grapes Grown by Winery
- Arneis, Barbera, Cortese, Dolcetto, Moscato, Nebbiolo, Pinot Nero
- Vineyard Size
- 16.0 ha
- Winemaker
- Rosanna, Daniele, and Antonella Lequio
- Winemaker Biography
- For the past 30 years, this estate in the Barbaresco DOCG has been run by women: along with their loved ones, sisters Rosanna, Daniela and Antonella Lequio do everything themselves from soil to bottle. With some of their own daughters now studying enology, this may be the family's first generation of women winemakers, but certainly not the last!
- Winemaker Generation
- 4th

Barbera d’Alba DOC Donna Rossa
Made by sisters Rosanna, Daniela and Antonella Lequio, this Barbera from Neive is made from 30-48 year old vines grown on a windswept hill at 200-300 meters. Bright and clear-headed, the wine is primarily unoaked, with just 20% spending a year in French tonneaux before release. While this elevates the weight just a bit and helps ensure a smooth mid-palate, the style is nonetheless subalpine. Black cherry, juicy pomegranate, and earthy undertones complete the classic Piedmont experience!
- Color
- Deep ruby red
- Nose
- Mature black cherry
- Palate
- Black cherry and pomegranate with earthy undertones
- Finish
- Clean, balanced, and food-friendly
- Vineyard Location
- Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 15 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Barbera
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 200-280 m
- Soils
- Calcareous Clay
- Maturation Summary
- In Steel for 80% for 12 months and Bottled for 6 months
- In Steel
- 80% for 12 months
- Alcohol
- 13.5 %
- Acidity
- 5.79 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 3.1 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 35,000 bottles
Moscato d’Asti DOCG Donna Blu
From the single, north-facing “La Punta” cru in the town of Neive comes this genre-bending Moscato d’Asti. So many wines in this category tend to be uniformly sweet, but here the 38 year-old vines, early harvest, and low yields supply us with a layered, nuanced experience. Sweet and frothy on the mid-palate, this wine evolves toward a clean, crisp, and mouth watering finish. Perfect with brunch, or with dessert that also showcases a savory element.
- Color
- Straw yellow with greenish highlights and a creamy mousse
- Nose
- Complex, with layers of ripe citrus, white peach, and wildflowers
- Palate
- Vibrant and sweet on the mid-palate, with light, frizzante-style bubbles
- Finish
- Clean, precise, and crisp
- Vineyard Location
- Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 15 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Moscato
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 240-290 m
- Soils
- Calcareous Clay
- Maturation Summary
- Bottled for 1 month
- Alcohol
- 5.5 %
- Acidity
- 5.55 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 119.8 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 19,000 bottles
Roero Arneis DOCG Donna Chiara
Crisp, clean, and possessing the "weight without wood" the varietal is well known for, Tre Donne's Roero Arneis lives up to every expectation. With roots diving deep into tufo clay, the 35-year-old vines yield a wide array of complex aromas and flavors - from its prominent stone fruit and piercing minerality to more subtle layers of quince, mushroom, and lemon verbena. Sisters Rosanna, Daniela, and Antonella Lequio continue to impress with their mastery of monovarietal classics from Piedmont!
- Color
- Pale golden yellow
- Nose
- Soft notes of orange blossom, honeysuckle, nectarine, and lemon verbena
- Palate
- Brilliant "bookend" minerality with layers of peach, pear, quince and green apple
- Finish
- Long; alternating between plump fruit and pitch-perfect acidity
- Vineyard Location
- Roero DOCG, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 2 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Roero Arneis
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 250-300 m
- Soils
- Calcareous clay
- Maturation Summary
- In Steel for 4 months and Bottled for 3 months
- In Steel
- 4 months
- Alcohol
- 13.0 %
- Acidity
- 6 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 3.2 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 11,400 bottles
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC Donna Nera
Harvested at the end of October, this traditional-style Nebbiolo offers up layers of dark cherry, cranberry, and earthy forest floor. The naturally bold tannins are tamed in this instance by older vines and extremely low yields. Produced by three sisters - Rosanna, Daniela, and Antonella Lequio - this elegant big gun is single estate, picked by hand, and sustainably farmed to boot!
- Color
- Dark purple
- Nose
- Black cherry, tobacco leaf, and autumnal forest floor
- Palate
- Powerful, linear tannins, tempered by integrated fruit and elegant earthy notes
- Finish
- Slightly dry, with staying power
- Vineyard Location
- Langhe DOC, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 15 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Nebbiolo
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 260 m
- Soils
- Calcareous clay
- Maturation Summary
- Bottled for 6 months
- Alcohol
- 14.0 %
- Acidity
- 5.5 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 2.3 g/liter
Barbaresco DOCG Donna Milia
Fifty years old and single cru, the vines used to make this bold and beautiful DOCG grow directly in front of the Lequio family's hilltop home and cellar, and lie at the heart of everything they do. While fearless, "vertical" tannins are always central to the story of Nebbiolo, in this case they are tamed by the old vines... the wine is full-bodied but smooth and integrated, and typically ready to drink sooner than most Barolo's. Perfect for family celebrations and for fall and winter cuisine.
- Color
- Rich garnet
- Nose
- Dark cherry, plum, and currant with hints of violet, earth spice, and fresh hay
- Palate
- Bold structure with vertical, well-integrated tannins
- Finish
- Clean and long lasting
- Vineyard Location
- Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 2 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Nebbiolo
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); dry-farmed; grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 200-320 m
- Soils
- Calcareous clay (tufo)
- Maturation Summary
- In neutral barrels for 36 months and bottled for 8 months
- Alcohol
- 13.5 %
- Acidity
- 5. g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 1.4 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 8,000 bottles
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC Donna Viola
Grown on the family's hill in Neive, and flanking their Nebbiolo on either side, these 20-35 year-old Dolcetto vines get just as much love and attention as those devoted to their cru Barbaresco. While often viewed as an everyday wine, it was the lifelong favorite of Alessandro Lequio, father to Daniela, Rosanna, and Antonella (the Tre Donne), and they continue to make it just the way he liked it - clean, clear-headed, and perfect with the midday meal! Just 500 cases produced.
- Color
- Dark ruby
- Nose
- Cherry, forest berries, violets, and a hint of dark earth
- Palate
- Fresh and fruity, with medium tannins
- Finish
- Clean and food-friendly
- Vineyard Location
- Dolcetto d'Alba DOC, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 1 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Dolcetto
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of The Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); dry-farmed; grapes picked by hand
- Elevation
- 200-270 m
- Soils
- Calcareous clay
- Maturation Summary
- In neutral barrels for 2 months and bottled for 6 months
- Alcohol
- 13.5 %
- Acidity
- 5.9 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 2.7 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 6,000 bottles
Barolo Donna Clotilde
From the small, high altitude Castelletto cru in the village of Monforte d’Alba comes this fantastic, experimental Barolo - designed to combine the green tannins and light color of a traditional wine with the smooth accessibility of a more modern rendition. Toward this end, Piernicola Bruno and Rosanna Lequio have invented "striped" barrels, alternating slats of 50% Slovenian and 50% French Allier oak... with lovely "neoclassical" results. Enjoy now or over the next 15 years. Only 2800 bottles made.
- Color
- Ruby with garnet edge
- Nose
- Dark cherry, plum, and black currant with hints of rose water and freshly cut hay
- Palate
- Firm tannic structure, with dark fruit repeating alongside notes of tobacco and leather
- Finish
- Long, with tannins smoothing out over time
- Vineyard Location
- Barolo DOCG, Piedmont
- Vineyard Size
- 1 ha
- Varietals List
- 100% Nebbiolo
- Farming Practices
- Certified members of the Green Experience in Piedmont (sustainable, eco-friendly practices with no chemical herbicides); grapes are single estate and picked by hand
- Elevation
- 500 m
- Soils
- Calcareous clay
- Maturation Summary
- In 20 HL French barrels for 36 months and bottled for 12 months
- Alcohol
- 14.5 %
- Acidity
- 5.6 g/liter
- Residual Sugar
- 1.1 g/liter
- Annual Production
- 2,800 bottles