Autumn is arriving with a load of novelties at the Bava winery: the new Monferrato DOC Nebbiolo Superiore, Serre di San Pietro, is officially ready to be enjoyed.
Serre di San Pietro is a new wine, which is also a powerful and evocative return to its origins: a Nebbiolo from Monferrato, just like the one our family historically produced in the vineyards of Tuffo, a small village in Cocconato, in Piedmont.
Serre di San Pietro Bava is released with the 2020 vintage, having undergone ten months of aging in wooden barrels, which earns the wine the “Superiore” designation.
The characteristics of the Monferrato Nebbiolo DOC Superiore “Serre di San Pietro”
In Serre di San Pietro, you’ll find the bright ruby color, a floral and spicy olfactory profile, and typical yet round tannins that ensure the wine’s longevity.
The bouquet is rich with scents that first evoke floral nuances associated with violet and wild rose. Later on, the fruity note becomes more intense, wrapped in the pleasant perception of the wood in which it was refined.
On the palate, the wine’s structure and breadth are well-balanced by a remarkable freshness, enriching the persistence of the finish.
From the historic Tuffo vineyard, whose white calcareous and rough soil covers the emerging marls, the wine brings forth character, fragrance enhancement, and freshness, combining elegance and structure.
Serre di San Pietro is the Monferrato Nebbiolo DOC Superiore that proudly showcases Cocconato’s traditional vocation for this grape and testifies to the long-standing relationship between these lands and the Bava family.
Monferrato Nebbiolo DOC signed by Bava: A history that dates back centuries
The Bava family has resided in the Cocconato area since at least the early 1600s, and even then, the family farmhouse, ca’ Traversa, was surrounded by vineyards.
At that time, wine was produced for personal consumption, along with other field products. The family stored the wine in barrels in the underground cellars of the farmhouse and bottled it in excellent vintages and for special occasions.
So, in Piero Bava’s words, wine, territory, and family intertwine:
“Once upon a time,” Piero Bava recalls, “almost everyone in Tuffo had a small piece of land; the upper part of the hills was cultivated with vines. Already in the 18th century, the Bava family owned land on the hillsides of Serre, a panoramic point in the hamlet from which the Alpine arch and Monviso were clearly visible, on the ridge of the ancient Strada delle Serre. In the early 20th century, the family moved to the valley floor, next to the railway, where the cellar was founded, which still today, a century later, serves as the company’s headquarters.”
From the cellar windows, you can see, in whole light on the hill in front, the historic vineyard next to the village church, in the same position described on a rare cadastral map from 1790 (among the few completed during the reign of Savoy), which bears the same toponym, Cadodo, already indicated as owned by the family back then.
It is precisely from the little church in Tuffo, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, that this wine takes his name. It comes from a vineyard nestled between the Strada delle Serre and the churchyard of the Church of San Pietro e Paolo: thus, Serre di San Pietro was born.
The Recognition of the DOC
The recognition of the DOC Monferrato for this Nebbiolo seals this long historical presence. It recognizes the vocation of the Cocconato hills for Nebbiolo production, with Cadodo and the Serre slopes offering the best exposures.
The Vineyard
Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyard: Cadodo
Altitude: 375 meters above sea level
Soil: White calcareous and marly Training
System: Guyot
Monferrato DOC Nebbiolo Superiore… and More
Serre di San Pietro joins the Bava winery’s production, alongside Barberas – from Stradivario to Pianoalto Nizza and Libera – Barolos, and Nebbiolos from the Scarrone cru in Castiglione Falletto, in the Langhe region.
A range of flavors that you can explore, along with the history of Cocconato’s territory and the winery, by choosing from various visit and tasting options.