The Bovone family herald from Ovada where they were wine merchants until Gian Piero Bovone bought the Cornarea estate back in 1974. Having studied oenology, Gian Piero had figured out that reductive, anaerobic winemaking was the key to vinifying Arneis. He then invested in the single vineyard of 15 hectares overlooking the small town of Canale, where he had the foresight to replant almost the entire hill to the white Arneis grape, culminating, in 1981, with their first single varietal wine.
The key to Cornarea’s high quality white wine Arneis DOCG (in north-west Piedmont in Italy) is ‘la terra’: 30 million year old Miocene former sea bed soils rich in marine fossils, water retentive ‘agrilla di Lugagnano’ & minerally magnesium, that originates from Monte Rosa. In fact so rich is the soil in magnesium that a couple of doctors from nearby Canale made their fortune selling salt of magnesium, dug up locally, as a remedy during the late 19th century. The presence of magnesium, giving minerality to the wine, is apparently common to three villages: Canale, Montà, & Monteu Roero.
From vintage 2021, Pier & Gian will release their Roero DOCG vigna Santa Margherita; from c.45 yo Nebbiolo vines, vinified in static-stainless steel, with regular delestaggio/rack n’ return for 10 days, followed by ageing in second fill French tonneaux of 500L.
> Converting to organic
Gianmario Cerutti’s family own 6ha of prime sandy calcareous soils at Cassinasco, 480metres above sea level overlooking Canelli, the Moscato d’Asti & Metodo Classico capital in the Langhe Astigiani (& of Italia!) No surprise then that Gianmario focuses his energy on producing primarily a Moscato d’Asti Canelli DOCG & (since vintage 2015) an Alta Langa DOCG.
Gianmario’s grandfather, Enrico 1, bought the current Cascina in 1931, selling off the fruit. In the 1940s, the family started to vinify their fruit before the first bottling in the ’70s. Fourth generation Gianmario graduated from Alba’s viticultural school Umberto 1 in 1992 & began at the family cantina in 1994, while also moonlighting as a key buyer/winemaker at the Coppo winery. Indeed it is here that their Alta Langa is aged & bottled.
They make the Moscato d’Asti Canelli from two sites: ‘Suri Galle’ at 380m asl SE facing, e ‘Suri Sandrinet’ at 320m asl, SW facing on white sandier soils.
Since vintage 2011, Gianmario has also been sourcing fruit to make a Metodo Classico, now Alta Langa DOCG, from two sites: 80% Pinot Nero from white calc & limo (silt) vineyards in Bubbio, in the Val Bormida, & 20% Chardonnay from white sand & calc Cassinasco, in the Val Belbo at between 300 – 400m asl. From the 2015 vintage this wine has now become Alta Langa DOCG Brut.
His father Enrico II breeds pretty, prize-winning canaries so the Cascina shrills to birdsong. His mother Luciana makes a delicious ‘torta di nocciola’ (hazelnut cake), & his wife Anita works along her family at the excellent Ristorante Casa Crippa in Canelli!
In his spare time (!), Gianmario is also Presidente of the Associazione Produttori Moscato di Canelli; an associated member of the Consorzio dell’Alta Langa; & on the Consiglio (Board) di Amministrazione della FIVI (Federazione Italiano Viticultori Indipendente)!
The ‘Canelli’ denominazione of Moscato d’Asti applies to Gianmario’s wine because the village of Cassinasco is one of the 23 communes in the ‘Canelli’ sub-region famous for Moscato d’Asti; Canelli comprises 95ha, while Santa Vittoria (Roero) is only 2ha, & Strevi 0.5ha! Current total Moscato d’Asti production in 2017 was 35 million bottles; Cerutti produces 8,000!
> Essentially organic but will resort to chemicals if absolutely necessary.
Cantina Mascarello Bartolo remains one of the most revered Barolo domaines. Founded in 1919, its reputation was secured by the founder Giulio, then his son, the late great Bartolo Mascarello and since 2005 by his daughter Maria-Teresa Mascarello, whose first vintage was in 1993.
Giulio’s father Bartolomeo had moved from the La Morra borgata of Torriglione to Barolo, along with his parcel of Rocche dell’Annunziata, working in the Cantina Sociale located in the village of Barolo, & working his way to become Presidente before it closed with the onset of the 1915-18 War. By which time he had married Teresa Bianco of the village. Indeed it was Bartolomeo & his son Giulio who set up the family business ‘in proprio’ in 1919. Giulio then married Maria Rinaldi…hence Maria-Teresa Mascarello!
The 5 hectare domaine lies in the Barolo village on prime sandy calcareous clay Tortonian soils, with the vineyards of Cannubi, San Lorenzo, Ruè, & Rocche del Annunziata (La Morra) at its heart. Vintage 2014 was the last harvest of the old vine vineyard San Lorenzo, that was then left fallow & replanted. The fruit of the new San Lorenzo vines were first added to vintage 2020.
From 2015, the cantina has rented vines in Monrobiolo di Bussia, close to those of their Dolcetto & Freisa vines.
Only one Barolo continues to be made, co-fermenting the fruit from different vineyards, respecting tradition & benefitting from the sum of the parts: a classic blend.
The style remains traditional. The fruit is co-fermented, with vinification taking place in cement & wooden cuves, without recourse to yeast or temperature control. The Barolo is aged for approx. 3 years in 25 hl Slavonian botte (all recently replaced), followed by 1 year in bottle prior to release.
Maria-Teresa believes quite simply that the key to great wine is to produce the healthiest, ripest fruit possible.
Essentially organic but will resort to chemicals if absolutely necessary.
> Nothing currently available as demand exceeds supply
Mattia Antoniotti works alongside his father Odilio & madre Piera at this 19th century cantina, dating back to 1863. They are situated in the northern Alto Piemonte village of Casa del Bosco, in the provincia of Vercelli, that form part of the 28-hectare region of Bramaterra among the pre-Alps, surrounded by woodland. They farm circa 6 hectares of Nebbiolo, Croatina, Vespolina and Uva Rara vines, the fruit of which Odilio first bottled in 1970. First documented in 1447, Bramaterra was awarded the DOC in 1979; it was known as the ‘vino dei Canonici’ due to its popularity among the Vercellese clergy.
The Bramaterra DOC rules that there must be a maximum of 80% Nebbiolo (Spanna) in Bramaterra; Mattia believes that the addition of the other grape varieties gives a more balanced & expression of territory. Indeed they both approve of the latest, 2023 proposal to allow between 70-90% Nebbiolo in the final Bramaterra DOC blend, but stop short of 100%. Currently their Martinazzi vyd is planted to 78% Nebbiolo, complanted with the other three varieties, & is due out as a single vineyard label Bramaterra for the first time in vintage 2022.
The soils are essentially volcanic porphyry – issue of the Valsesia supervolcano 280million yrs ago – along with veins of rose quartz and caolino limestone; soils that are more acidic and richer in minerals but less fertile than the soils of the Langhe, producing perfumed yet modest alcohol wines; their fresh, high acid structures due to the northern latitudes, the proximity of the Alps, & the abundant woodland that surround the vineyards (but which are the refuge of plundering deer, boar, & badgers!) The fruit is co-fermented in cement, stainless-steel and Slavonian & French oak botte.
2020 saw the completion of a new bottle store extension of the cantina, while vintage 2022 will see the release of their first Bramaterra vigna Martinazzi, from the family’s historical cru dating back to 1863.
> Organic, uncertified
Marco & Sandra Sara, with their two boys Pietro & Tobias, are young Colli Orientali del Friuli producers whose family & 6 hectares of vines and 4 hectares of woods are located just north-east of Udine in the commune of Povoletto – a pre-Alps range of hills that separate Friuli from Slovenia. Here, at between 75 – 300 msl, the flysch marne (‘ponca’) and sandstone slopes favour Marco Sara’s white and red indigenous grape varieties Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo, Schioppettino, Refosco, along with some Cabernet Franc, imbuing the wines with a lower pH, & a spine.
Marco took over the reins of his family cantina in 2000, making the switch from selling off in bulk to bottling the fruit himself. In 2005 the estate became organic; it was also the year when he first bottled sweet wines Picolit and Verduzzo. He makes small quantities of hand-made wine, using organic fruit and wild yeast. These are authentic fine wines that speak of an indigenous grape, that respect and reflect local tradition and territory.
The backdrop to their vyds are the imposing pre-Alpi Giulia range of mountains that lie to the north of the Colli Orientali del Friuli, & who presence is felt by a cooling breeze throughout the year. Here in their pretty comune of Povoletto, a few kilometres north of Udine, the Colli Orientali are at circa 250m asl, on sedimentary soils of clay & friable ‘ponca’ (marne/flysch), rich in calcite & quartz. It is these ‘ponca’ soils, also found in the much warmer zone of Buttrio e Corno di Rosazzo just to the south, that make the difference in the top sites.
Their 6ha (2ha Friulano, 1.5 Schioppettino & 2.5ha mix of Picolit, Refosco, Peduncolo, Verduzzo & Ribolla Gialla) are all in colline, with Schioppettino occupying the highest, richest in ponca sites, often surrounded by woodland (that also cool the vines below & keep alcohols at modest levels). Indeed Marco & Sandra are constantly at the ricerca, searching to bring out the energetic ponca expression in their wines, especially through Schioppettino; they grow this variety on three different soil types (gravel, clay & ponca/flysch), vinified separately, before blending & bottling 18 mths after the harvest. Marco vinifies at circa 22celsius (for whites), using wild yeasts in both cement & stainless-steel, with 500Litre French tonneaux & 10HL Garbellotto used for affinamento/élévage.
Their Picolit is harvested clean & then undergoes appassimento for 3 months in baskets stored in Marco’s mother’s attic. Then the bunches are sorted, separating the ‘muffato’/botrytized fruit from the still clean, non-botrytized fruit, & vinifying them separately. The ‘muffato’ (‘Mufis’) must is vinified in stainless steel, while the rest is fermented in French tonneaux; blending of the two together takes place during the autumn pre-spring bottling. 2017 comprised 100% muffato/botrytized fruit, while 2018 will be 60% non-muffato, 40% muffato!
Increasingly Marco & Sandra have recognised that three varieties perform best on their unique ponca/flysch, hilly terreno: Friulano, Schioppettino & Picolit!
> Certified organic (CeViq)
The Lucano family of Carbone is located in Melfi, Basilicata, close to the stunning Norman & subsequently Anjou & Swabian castle, in an ancient cellar hewn out of the black lava rock, they first planted Aglianico vines in the 1970s. Up until vintage 2005, & as was the tradition in the area, the family sold their fruit off; in their case it was to then famous cantina of Paternoster.
Since 2005, Sara and her brother Luca have bottled their fruit themselves; initially with the help of Sergio Paternoster as consultant, but then on their own from vintage 2015. They focus their energy on 8 hectares planted in the sooty black, potassium rich, volcanic ash soils vineyards of the Aglianico del Vulture DOC(G). Their key vineyards are: 40 year old vine, masale selection Piani dell’Incoronata at 550 mtrs asl; Monte Lapis (also planted in the 1980s); & 2009 clone-planted Braida at 560m asl, on clay & volcanic dust. Vinification takes place in stainless steel, with affinamento/elevage in used and new French barrique and tonneaux, before returning to stainless-steel.
They produce three Aglianico del Vulture wines: the first, ‘400 Some’ after the 400 mules belonging to King Carlo d’Angio of Southern Italy; predominantly from Monte Lapis & Braida fruit aged in predomoninantly 300 french oak barrels. The second: ‘Stupor Mundi’, celebrating the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250), from Piani dell’Incoronata fruit only, aged for 12/15 months in 500 litre used French tonneaux. And the third Aglianico is a Riserva DOCG Stupor Mundi’, first made in vintage 2011, aged for 2 years in tonneaux, & released for sale in autun of the 5th year. They also make a Fiano Basilicata Bianco!
Fruit of the chocolate brown volcanic soils that surround Monte Vulture, this is classic damson & graphite, full-bodied, fresh & authentic Aglianico del Vulture at its very best.
From 2012 conversion in biologico/organic, certified in 2015 by Assoc. Suolo e Saluta
Tenuta del Priore is a family-owned Abruzzese cantina making classic Abruzzo Bianco, Pecorino, Passerina, Montepulciano & Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo wines from 53ha of vineyards near the village of Collecorvino, in the province of Pescara; 75% of the estate is devoted to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The vineyards are located high up in sight of the Adriatic Sea, on calcareous clay, morainic & silty soils rich with (calc) stones among the Colline Pescaresi & close to Pescara & the Adriatic sea. Indeed their top, 4.5ha, Montepulciano vineyard, ‘Filiani’ (after the previous owner), lies but 3km from the seaside at a breezy c.270m asl on a range of silty limestone hills close to the village of Città Sant’Angelo, within the DOCG zone of Colline Teramo in the provincia of Atri. Its fruit goes into the ‘Kerrias’ label.
The property has been owned by the Mazzocchetti family for many generations, who started bottling their wines in 1973. Fabrizio Mazzocchetti (pictured left) is the latest generation to assume responsibility for the estate, along with his father Antonio. Notably Fabrizio learned his trade outside Abruzzo, attending wine school in Florence before honing his (white) wine-making skills in Alto Adige at the the famous San Michele Appiano cantina, Bolzano. Fabrizio’s first vintage was in 2001 & since then he has worked hard to fine-tune the viticulture & vinification. From 2017 Fabrizio has been working hard to bring more clarity, rigour & definition to his ‘Col del Mondo’ Montepulciano. A slightly earlier harvest date, less (new) barriques, plus the adoption of Clyuver cermaic eggs for l’affinamento has definitely helped.
Giovanna Fabrizii, Fabrizio’s wife, manages him, their two boys, & the office!
They are proud of their ‘Campotino’ range of wines, that delivers high quality, terroir expressive, affordable drinking from younger, guyot-trained vines in cooler spots with lighter soils. The whites (Abruzzo Bianco, Pecorino & Passerina) are expertly made to give clear fruit expression & a sense of place, without the use of oak; as does the rosato Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo & the inky purple Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; refined in cement tanks.
Fabrizio also makes a ‘Col del Mondo‘ range, which he started when he joined the business. This range comes from older 21yo + spur-trained vines planted in more favourable, white calcareous clay & morainic soils over looking the Adriatic.
Harvesting of the white grapes usually takes place in this order: Pecorino, Trebbiano, Passerina & lastly Fiano (di Avellino)
Stelvin, DIAM5 & Amorim NDTech corks