BAJAJ di Moretti Adriano

Located high up in the comune of Monteu Roero, the Moretti family of Giovanni e Mirella, son Adriano & zio Elio, are proud custodians of 22ha of agriculture land, fruit (fragole!) & vegetables…including 5ha of vineyards, comprising Arneis, Favorita, Barbera, & Nebbiolo.

The family originate from Occhetti below, but then transferred up to Monteu Roero in the 1960s under the supervision of Giovanni’s madre Daria, whose nickname was ‘Bajaj’.

Since 2014, Giovanni’s son Adriano has taken taken responsibility for the cantina & production of their wines, which are made from Monteu Roero vyds, notably Bric Nota, San Vincenzo, & Gaiuccio, with Nebbiolo Roero DOCG & Langhe Nebbiolo being the focus. Indeed their first commercial bottling under the ‘BAJAJ’ label came in 2015.

Monteu Roero soils are a mix of sabbia d’asti & superiore argilla di Lugagnano clay. At Adriano’s side is enologo Manuele Priolo – la sua braccia destra – while since 2019, super-agronomo Edmondo Bonelli has been advising them.

The wines are vinified using wild yeast/pied de cuve in a variety of vessels: stainless-steel, anfora, barriques, with minimal use of copper/rame, & re-assuring levels of sulphur (c. 70 mg/L totale).

They adopt a ‘subtractive’ approach to winemaking; that is they avoid all that they consider unnecessary to making their wines:

• No Filtration
• Spontaneous Fermentations, or neutral yeast depending on the year
• No copper in the cantina (but in the vyd, yes)
• Anfora/Terracotta fermentations
• SQNPI Certificazione – Sistema di Qualita Nazionale di Produzione Integrata

Their approach is to be as natural & respectful as possible, not only for the environment but also for their own health & of those working alongside them.

> Without excess; without extremes. In essence: “in medio stat virtus” – La virtù sta nel mezzo – virtue lies in the middle (Aristotle)