We consider the estate to be among the greatest references for the terroir of Dogliani, which is located immediately south of Barolo in the Langhe. The Dogliani DOCG is home to some of the greatest Dolcetto vineyards in the Piemonte, and this appellation accounts for the majority of the estate’s 12 ha under vine. The oldest Dolcetto vines were planted in 1936, while the youngest date back to 1978. The finest sources are destined for the flagship “San Fereolo” cuvée, while the balance of the Dolcetto vines comprise the “Valdibà” bottling. Since the early 1990s, Nicoletta has worked her high-altitude holdings in the Dogliani appellation biodynamically, producing wild-fermented, non-technological wines in the vein of Piedmont’s old masters (with whom she studied—Bartolo Mascarello, for instance).
Nicoletta is the daughter of a well-regarded and controversial Italian political writer, and the anti-elitist political undercurrents of her winemaking philosophy are undeniable. Whereas she could easily triple her production of Nebbiolo and become an overnight sensation (as anyone who has tasted her “Il Provinciale”—a Nebbiolo that bests much Barolo in its elegance and unfettered expression—can attest), she is steadfastly committed to the underdog Dolcetto, and even speaks dismissively and regretfully about Nebbiolo’s aristocratic perfection. Despite her long-aged flagship wine’s immense cost of production and storage (four years in large Slavonian oak), her prices remain defiantly low.
Farming
Certified Biodynamic by Demeter
Treatments
Copper-sulfate and biodynamic preparations
Ploughing
Annual ploughing to promote vineyard health
Soils
Limestone-clay, sand, and Tortonian marls
Vines
Trained in Guyot and planted at 4,000-5,000 vines/ha, vines average 10-30 years old for Valdibà bottling and 40-70 years old for San Fereolo bottling
Yields
Controlled via severe pruning, debudding, and an occasional green harvest, yields average 35-50 hl/ha
Harvest
Entirely manual, usually from mid-September to mid-October
Sourcing
Half of Il Provanciale Langhe Nebbiolo is purchased from a friend’s single plot in Serralunga d’Alba. All other wines are from entirely estate fruit
Fermentation
Following total destemming, wines ferment spontaneously in stainless-steel tanks and wood tini. Cuvaison lasts 8-22 days depending on cuvée. White wine ferments spontaneously in neutral 5-25-hl tonneaux. Riesling sees 24 hours of skin contact; Gewürztraminer macerates for a few hours
Extraction
Red wines see punchdowns and pumpovers during fermentation, depending on the nature of the vintage
Chaptalization
None
Pressing
Pneumatic pressing
Malolactic Fermentation
Spontaneous, in concrete vats until March. White wine sees malolactic blocked by temperature
Élevage
12-36 months in stainless-steel tanks and large Slavonian oak botti, depending on cuvée
lees
Wines remain on their fine lees for 4-6 months following malolactic fermentation, with bâtonnage when necessary. White wines remain on their fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling
Fining and Filtration
Coste de Riavolo, 1593, Austri, and Il Provinciale are unfined. All wines are unfiltered
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