Growers / Italy / Piedmont / De Forville

De Forville

The DeForville family emigrated to Piedmont from Belgium in 1848 and established themselves in the village of Barbaresco in 1860.


The DeForville family emigrated to Piedmont from Belgium in 1848 and established themselves in the village of Barbaresco in 1860. Here, the family was instantly engaged in growing the Nebbiolo grape under the direction of Gioacchino De Forville. He was succeeded by his son, Vincenzo, followed by Vincenzo’s nephew, Paolo and, then, the fourth generation is represented by Paolo’s daughter, Mafalda and her husband, Bruno Anfosso. Now, the fifth generation is in place: Valter and Paolo Anfosso, the two sons of Bruno and Mafalda. We are particularly proud to note that, along with the Ferrando family in the northern reaches of Piedmont, we have worked with the Anfosso-De Forville family since the very first moment of our engagement as importers of wine for the USA. Our first vintage together was 1978 and we have worked together every vintage since that time.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the DeForvilles sold their wine in bulk directly to restaurants and to retailers who then bottled the wine. In 1940 the estate bottled its first wine and now virtually their entire production is bottled at the estate with annual output averaging 100,000 bottles.

Valter and Paolo with grapes textured background of dirt

In 1940 the estate bottled its first wine and now virtually their entire production is bottled at the estate with annual output averaging 100,000 bottles.

The nearly 11 hectare domaine is divided between holdings in the villages of Barbaresco [4.5 hectare] and Castagnole Lanze [6.5 hectare], a commune that is about four kilometers east of Barbaresco in the direction of Asti. The family production is supplemented by purchases of grapes from growers with whom the Anfosso family has long ties, usually over multiple generations. Within Barbaresco, Nebbiolo is planted in the “cru” vineyards of Rabaja, Loreto and Pozzo. Dolcetto is also planted in the Loreto site and Barbera is cultivated within the “cru” of “Ca’Grossa”. The production from the vineyards in Castagnole Lanze is from the site known as “Ca del Buc”.

In general, the grapes are all hand-harvested and are then fermented in stainless steel with complete temperature control. The two white wines, Moscato d’Asti and Piemonte Chardonnay, are then aged in stainless steel before bottling; the red wines are racked into large wood barrels for varying periods before being bottled. Malolactic fermentation is normally blocked and bottling takes place in March or April of the following year. The Moscato d’Asti is bottled earlier in the succeeding year. The reds are traditionally vinified, being fermented on the skins throughout a cuvaison that may extend (for the Barbaresco) for as long as 4 weeks. At the end of November, the wines are racked into large oak barrels [50 to 60 hectoliter size] and the malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. For the Barbaresco, several rackings will be done during the first year and thereafter the wines will remain in barrel for an additional 2 years without a racking. The Barbaresco is then bottled without filtration. The Dolcetto is normally bottled prior to the next harvest and the Barbera within 18 to 20 months from the date of harvest. These wines are particularly age worthy and, after receiving sufficient bottle age, develop the complex aromas of fruit, earth and flowers that can only result from wines that are vinified in this traditional manner. The Anfosso family also bottles its young vines Barbaresco as Langhe Nebbiolo and produces a Nebbiolo d’Alba from vineyards in the neighboring commune of San Rocco d’Elvio.

Farming

Practicing organic

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote vineyard health

Soils

Limestone-clay

Vines

Trained in Guyot and planted at 4,500 vines/ha, vines average 35 years old.

Yields

Controlled through pruning, debudding, and green harvesting, yields average 70 hl/ha

Harvest

Entirely manual, usually from mid-September to mid-October

PURCHASING

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment in stainless-steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. Red wines are totally destemmed, and cuvaison lasts c. 28 days.

Extraction

Red wines see pumpovers during fermentation

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Spontaneous, beginning after alcoholic fermentation and lasting until the spring. Blocked via temperature for white wines.

Élevage

White wines age in stainless-steel tanks for c. 6 months. Red varietal wines age in large, neutral, Slavonian-oak botti for 6-12 months. Barbaresco wines age in Botti for c. 24 months.

LEeS

Wines are racked off their lees following malolactic and remain on their fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling.

FINING & FILTRATION

Barbaresco wines are unfiltered. Other wines see plate filtration.

SULFUR

Applied at harvest, vinification, rackings, and bottling

Farming

Practicing organic

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote vineyard health

Soils

Limestone-clay

Vines

Trained in Guyot and planted at 4,500 vines/ha, vines average 35 years old.

Yields

Controlled through pruning, debudding, and green harvesting, yields average 70 hl/ha

Harvest

Entirely manual, usually from mid-September to mid-October

PURCHASING

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment in stainless-steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. Red wines are totally destemmed, and cuvaison lasts c. 28 days.

Extraction

Red wines see pumpovers during fermentation

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Spontaneous, beginning after alcoholic fermentation and lasting until the spring. Blocked via temperature for white wines.

Élevage

White wines age in stainless-steel tanks for c. 6 months. Red varietal wines age in large, neutral, Slavonian-oak botti for 6-12 months. Barbaresco wines age in Botti for c. 24 months.

Lees

Wines are racked off their lees following malolactic and remain on their fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling.

Fining & Filtration

Barbaresco wines are unfiltered. Other wines see plate filtration.

Sulfur

Applied at harvest, vinification, rackings, and bottling

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