THE WHITE SOIL OF COCCONATO
At Cocconato, the large clay and yellow sand beds present in the province of Asti, alternate to beds of chalk and limestone with white and soft marls – called in Piedmontese dialect THOU BIANC, white tuff – that break up in the sun giving the soil a light colour. These soils are traditionally saved for red grapes vineyards because they yield strong yet elegant wines. So it was a surprise to discover that here the white wines become savoury, intense, scented and long-lasting. In the land of the Pieve Farmhous we grow since many years this international grapes that adapted well to the chalk soils of this area, near the Barberas.
VINEYARD
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyard: Bricco della Pieve, Cocconato
Altitude: 350 metres a.s.l.
Soil: limestone with white marls
Vien training technique: low spurred cordon
WINEMAKING
Our Sauvignon fermentation is preceeded by maceration of the grapes at 10°C and followed by fermentation of the must made limpid through cold clarification. The wine is aged “sur lie” (French for on lees, without racking) for ten months in steel vats.
WINE
Monferrato proved to be an excellent area for fragrant and fruity wines, where beside the most intense reds, white grapes are grown to produce long-lasting, fragrant and aromatic wines. This Sauvignon fully shows the character of its terroir in the nose and mouth; however, although the wine is made in purity (100% single grape varietal), it doesn’t present too much of the intense acidic aromas that are typical of the varietal. On the other hand, it can be recognized thanks to its scents of apricot, pineapple, rosewood, gooseberries, iris, fresh mint and citrus peel. The palate is creamy and fresh thanks to the balanced acidity and savouriness typical of the terroir of origin. Does not age in wood and expressed its best qualities two or three years after bottling.