Pigato - Maje - Bruna

Bruna's Pigato DOC Maje is the wine that takes Emporio diVino beyond Valpolicella and Veneto to explore one of the most fascinating Italian whites, still little known to the general public - Ligurian Pigato, a native grape variety of the Riviera di Ponente that grows in poor, stony soils among the hills of Albenga and Imperia, just a few kilometres from the sea.

Bruna is one of Liguria's leading wineries for Pigato - a family estate that has worked with this grape variety for generations, with dedication and a respectful, artisanal vision of the region. "Maje" - a term from the dialect of western Liguria expressing wonder, amazement, and admiration - is the perfect name for a wine that surprises first-time drinkers with an aromatic and flavour profile completely different from any other Italian white.

Pigato is genetically related to Vermentino, but over the centuries it has developed an independent and distinctive character in Ligurian soils - more savoury, more mineral, and more aromatically intense, with a characteristic herbal and Mediterranean maquis note (rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage) found in no other Italian grape variety. Bruna's winemaking is respectful and minimal: gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in steel to preserve the full aromatic complexity of the variety, 6 months on its fine lees in steel, and 3 months in bottle. A production of 15,000 bottles ensures availability without sacrificing its artisanal identity.

On the nose, it is unique and unmistakable: white peach and apricot, Mediterranean wildflowers, fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, citrus (bergamot, citron), almond, and a savoury, saline minerality that evokes its proximity to the Ligurian Sea. On the palate, it is fresh and savoury - a light, enveloping texture, precise acidity, persistent, almost marine salinity, and a clean, aromatic finish with herbal and bitter almond notes that make it completely different from any Veneto or Tuscan white. Serve at 11°C as an aperitif or with delicate fish dishes. A white wine to bring to the table when you want to surprise - and amaze.

At €17 for a 100% Pigato from a leading producer in Liguria, with the exceptionally fresh 2024 vintage, this is one of the most original and competitive Italian white wines in the entire Emporio Divino catalogue.