Description
Organic Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo
To go to Sottimano website – click here
Area: Piemonte/ Piedmont
Location: Comune di Neive
Cru: Basarin
Size of the vineyard: 3.7 ha
Average production: 22.000
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: We see our Langhe Nebbiolo as a fundamental introduction to Barbaresco wine and all its crus. It is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes from our youngest vineyards in the Basarin additional geographic mention, which are just 20 to 25 years old. This wine expresses the nuances of the soil in a fresh, young and lively way, without yet having the complexity and structure of a cru. The result is a wine that is more readily drinkable.
Vinification: Meticulous selection of the best grapes in the vineyards and in the cellar is followed by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts. Long maceration on skins is followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation. This wine ages in barriques and large barrels. Neither filtration nor fining takes place at the time of bottling
Tasting Notes: The terroir of Basarin and the high altitude of the vineyard give the wine spicy notes, as well as outstanding complexity and structure, typical of this area located between the municipalities of Neive and Treiso. Our Langhe Nebbiolo is crisp and vibrant, with sweet floral and red fruit notes at the heart of its structure, along with hints of rose petal. On the palate we find mint and liquorice, which become even more persistent towards the finish.
