Description

Organic Sottimano Barbaresco Fausoni DOCG

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Grapes: Nebbiolo.
Location: Neive, Piemonte/ Piedmont
Orientation: south-west.
Age of Vineyard: 45 years.
Size of Vineyard: 1.50 ha.
Average production: 4800 bottles/year.
Yield: 40 tonnes per hectare.

Andrea Sottimano and his father Rino produce wines of outstanding quality from thirteen lovingly cared for hectares in the Cottà, Currà, Fausoni, Pajoré and Basarin crus in the Treiso and Neive townships. Their Barbarescos are elegant, evocative, subtle and yet hearty – to taste these crus side-by-side is to reply with a resounding YES to skeptics of terroir that question whether differences of only 200 meters does matter!

The approach here is one of minimal intervention: indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtering. No insecticides are used and only organic fertilizers are used, and only minimally. Natural cover crops (grass cover) are left in the rows between the vines and are mowed 2 or 3 times a year. In autumn the soil of every other row between the vines is tilled. Each of their four cru Barbarescos are given the same treatment to allow the uniqueness of each cru to express itself. Fermentation is done in oak, of which about 30% is new, followed by 18-20 months in neutral barriques.

Vineyards: Fausoni is a Barbaresco sui generis, slow in defining itself, with an important character that needs time and rest in the cellar to reach its peak. This vineyard in the heart of the hills of Neive produces very elegant wines with a full-bodied structure.

Vinification: Meticulous selection of the best grapes in the vineyards and in the cellar is followed by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts. After long maceration on skins (traditionally two months with submerged cap), the wine is racked into French barriques and large barrels where it completes malolactic fermentation. Neither filtration nor fining takes place at the time of bottling. A further year’s rest in the bottle allows the wine to fulfil its full expressive potential.

Tasting Notes: The nose reveals a concentration of aromas of fruits of the forest, red and black berries, enveloped in balsamic and menthol notes. These expressions are echoed on the palate, wrapped in thick tannins and characterised by a delicious youthful finish. Elegant and classic, with a good tannic structure that merges well with its delicate fruitiness. It is a wine with a strong presence in the mouth, with a concentration that reveals density and structure.