Size: Default Title

VINTAGE: 2018
GRAPE VARIETY: Arneis
LOCATION: San Martino Alfieri, Asti, Piedmont IT

I love this couple! We conversed in broken English, discussing everything from American oak trees to relationships, with a sprinkle of wine banter. Giulia is at the helm of a small estate previously run by her grandparents, and she fully immersed herself at the age of twenty-four, now co-running it with her partner, Davide. They own 4.7 hectares of vines, always farmed organically.

During our weekend off, I visited their estate to taste the wines. I witnessed firsthand the tremendous effort they invest in the vineyards, which look distinctly different from most I had worked in, boasting a lush cover crop and employing minimal copper and sulfur. They operate in the original underground cellar, hand-built by Giulia's father, a remarkable feat considering his background as a mason or architect. They predominantly use old large wooden casks and are implementing extended aging, just starting to release wines after years of cellaring.

Davide met Giulia over five years ago while making a documentary film about natural winemaking in Italy. She is incredibly charismatic; frankly, I wanted to stay in Piedmonte with them both. They share similar winemaking philosophies, focusing on farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. However, a natural tension arises when discussing ideas, as Giulia carries the estate's name and history.

The wines are dense, serious, and a bit brooding, yet with a salinity I didn't taste often during my trip. Asti, situated on an ancient seabed, features land with white and blue clays mixed with sand and tuff.

- Rebekah

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