For a complete reading, start here: The Langhe, where time seems to have stopped
It is not October, but even in spring, the awakening in the Langhe can offer the magic of morning fog. It can still surprise, even though it is only faintly present, especially if the previous day had been marked by a warm sun. In a sort of ping pong between the two souls of the Cuneo Langa, the second day brings me back to Barbaresco. My car winds its way along winding roads constantly surrounded by vineyards. One of these leads me to the heart of the Villagrande cru, in Treiso, where the Grasso family has been operating since 1870, when Giuseppe Grasso, the great-grandfather of the current owner Giulio, moved from nearby Calosso in the province of Asti. His daughter Paola welcomes me and guides me. With her, one breathes a friendly professionalism that is never serious. A reflection of the genuineness of this land.
The company is located in the center of a gentle valley. The main structure is called Cascina Cavalli, which inspired the choice of the logo. All around, it goes without saying, are vineyards alternating with vineyards. Two-thirds of which are nebbiolo.
A story that breathes from tales: back when in the '70s, winegrowers "mattered" less than Fiat workers, and therefore were the last to find a wife.
Up to the present day regarding global warming, which pushes to "cut" the clay so that water can sink deeper into the soil. Heat that is also beginning to be felt here, so much so that in the years '22 and '23 it was decided not to produce Barbaresco Riserva.
They do, however, have good grape varieties that bear the mark of acidity. Like Riesling Renano, from which a rich citrus note Langhe Frè 2023 is produced, a company white alongside the Langhe Chardonnay Valentine that is enriched by aging in wood. The line of "other" reds is represented by Dolcetto d'Alba Lodoli and Barbera d'Alba Paolina. Because here the great protagonist can only be Nebbiolo, which begins with Langhe BricdelBaio and then reveals all its nuances in the line of Barbaresco: from the longevity and historical significance of Asili to the now rare presence of the Michèt clone used in Villagrande, which expresses further complexity in the Riserva version that "emerges" 5 years after the harvest. To conclude with all the pleasantness of Moscato d'Asti 101 from two harvests: the first brings out the acidity, the second the sweetness.
It is truly him, the aromatic grape variety par excellence, that leads me to cross into Monferrato, the chosen area for moscato which in the DOCG Asti in 2022 broke the 100 million bottles sold barrier. I go to Castagnole delle Lanze, to Gianni Doglia. The third generation of a company founded by his grandfather in 1947, when this land, deeply marked by World War II, was beginning to rise again. Gianni has been leading it since 1995, the year he made two significant changes: he bottled everything and especially began bottling Moscato d’Asti. Out of this came the company's two gems: Moscato d'Asti La Giostra and Canelli Casa Bianca.
Two educational wines: when crafted with the aim of quality, Moscato offers unforgettable emotions.
Unmistakable aroma, enticing fizziness, refreshing acidity, delicious sweetness. All in a superior balance. Outside the Langhe, beyond Barbera (two labels in the Asti DOC and Nizza DOCG versions, two surprises where the grape's renowned acidity provides a perfect balance with the structure), you also meet the other two reds from the area. The first is Grignolino, the grape with many nicknames. Two in particular: noble rebel, because it is the wine of the Savoys and because of its difficult processing due to its unruly tannins; the red with the structure of a white, because it nonetheless showcases great elegance. And then there's Ruchè and its ability to give "sweet" aromas but with a dry mouthfeel, characteristics that make it a "red for those who don’t like reds."
In a place rich in traditions like the Langhe, History is never absent. The one with a capital H. I decided to reserve the last day to visit the Grinzane Cavour Castle, in the municipality of the same name at the extreme northeast of the Barolo denomination. One of the best-preserved castles in Piemonte, it owes its name to one of the founding fathers of united Italy: Camillo Benso Count of Cavour, who was the mayor of what was then Grinzane from 1832 to 1849, and who, a generation after Giulia Falletti of Barolo, played an equally fundamental role in introducing new working techniques that in the first half of the 1800s made Barolo the wine it is today.
The Castle is not only architectural and artistic history, but also enological.
It is indeed surrounded by panels illustrating the epic of Cavour and Barolo, which describe the characteristics of nebbiolo and the geology of the place, teaching all the practices of the cellar and vineyard. And then the vine. The structure is indeed surrounded by the “Vigna del Conte”, from which Vigna Castello is produced, one of the 8 Additional Geographical Mentions of Grinzane Cavour, managed by the higher institute “Umberto I” of Alba.
It's time to start again, to put together the ideas, the stories, the words, and the images. But not before delving into the reality where I stayed, my starting base for my tours up and down the Langhe. I am talking about Guido Porro, a family business in its third generation. We are in Serralunga d'Alba, a few dozen meters from the castle tower that seems like you could touch it by reaching out your arm and at the top of the Lazzarito cru, where Guido lets me taste the Vigna Lazzairasco 2020 from 65-year-old vines (powerful yet elegant) and the Vigna Santa Caterina 2020 (dark fruit, round, "feminine"). The tasting opened with a Langhe Nebbiolo 2023 with elegant tannins and closes with one of those crus that when you hear named, you wonder if it's really happening: the Vignarionda 2020 with all its personality and the weight of its stories.
Emotions in the glass but also in the cellar, when I meet a 40-year-old barrel.
The slow consumption that has occurred over the decades inside is betrayed on the outside by the red grooves of the wine that has seeped out of the micro-cracks that have widened over the years. Consider the fact that the first time it was used was in 1985, the year when "Back to the Future" was released in theaters. It has seen changes in ownership, witnessed trends come and go, and observed the evolution of the wine world from the question "white or red?" to wine influencer reviews. What has not changed over all this time – and thankfully so! – is the mix of rural atmosphere and landscapes of poignant beauty that are called Langhe.
