DACAPO

Milanesa/Biellesa by birth, Renata Bonacina was brought up in sight of Monviso & vowed one day to buy a cantina with a similar view. Move forward to 1998, freshly married to a Trevigiano, Giovanni Sartor, the couple bought a tiny Castiglione Tinella property ‘Cà ed Belos’ with its 1.5ha of Moscato d’Asti vyd. Skip forward to 2017 when they took the plunge & bought the 18th century Dacapo estate in the comune of Agliano Terme, with its 3.5ha of Barbera, Grignolino, + Incrocio Manzoni vines; the estate also owned 2.5ha in Castagnole di Monferrato, of Ruche’, Pinot Nero, & Nebbiolo plots.

The scene was set to re-unite the 7ha & three domaines – Castiglione Tinella, Agliano Terme, & Castagnole di Monferrato – a task that called for a new cantina in 2018, with temperature controlled tanks, wooden tini, botte grande, tonneaux, a barrique for the Pinot Nero! Giovanni has swapped his Accounting background for a trattore, while Renata’s realm is in the cantina. Their vineyards lie on three very different terreni: Castiglione Tinella on limestone & sabbia; Agliano Terme on marne sant’agata, clay, & some gypsum; while Castagnole di Monferrato sits on dark red clay & Messiniano sabbia d’asti soils. They are certified organic since 2019.