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www.buyersandcellars.ca Cellar Profile
The Bertolino family’s origins are in the village of Castelnuovo Calcea, in the Asti district of Piemonte. There, more than a century ago, the family began their venture in both winemaking and the wine trade. In the 1920s, the family moved to the neighbouring commune of Nizza Monferrato and the first Bertolino license to sell wine was dated there, on June 18th, 1927. In 1961, the family bought the villa Bauda at Incisa Scapaccino. They created the “Tenuta Olim Bauda” that soon became famous for Freisa, Moscato and, above all, Barbera. Following the tragic death of Bertolino Sr. in 1985, the family was forced to close the winery and sell their prized fruit to other producers in the area. In 2000, the family decided to re-establish the winery and its winemaking traditions. Today, the estate is owned and operated by the three Bertolino siblings: Dino, Diana and Gianni. Their wines are at once modern and classic, loaded with fruit, intensity and brawn and backed by elegance, structure and refinement.
Region
An outstanding high-quality wine region in northwest Italy, widely considered the country’s most stable and evolved viticultural area. Its temperature and rainfall mirror Bordeaux. The vast majority of Piedmont’s terrain is mountainous or hilly, creating optimum elevated vineyard sites for the region’s best varieties. Of those, Nebbiolo enjoys the greatest notoriety and acclaim. The grape reaches its highest potential in the sub-regions of Barolo and Barbaresco where it is made into incredibly structured, complex, and ageworthy wines. Approximately half of Piedmont’s vineyards are planted with Barbera. The past thirty years have seen significant improvement in Barbera-based wines, with some commanding price levels that approach those of Barolo and Barbaresco. Prior to 1980, white wines were, for the most part, an afterthought, but they are now gaining acclaim and popularity in Italy and abroad. Of particular interest is the resurgence of Gavi, made from the Cortese grape, and the low-alcohol, frizzante Moscato d’Asti.
Vineyard
The Centive Estate vineyard is located in the village of Fontanile. Its Moscato plantings date to the 1960s, though the Bertolino family took ownership in the early 1970s. The soil is well-drained and comprised of sand and calcareous limestone. It is now farmed organically, with certification expected in 2021.
Varieties
There are 200-some-odd strains of the Muscat grape. Of these, Moscato Bianco di Canelli—also known as Muscat Blanc å Petits Grains—is widely considered the finest and is grown sparingly throughout the wine world, most notably in Italy and France. Within those two countries, it is perhaps best known for producing lightly spritzy, semisweet Moscato d’Asti, and the sweet and delicious Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise, respectively. It is believed to be the oldest known grape variety grown in all Piedmont.
Winemaking
Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted at the winery, and then crushed and fermented under temperature control in autoclaves for 20 days. The wine is then cooled rapidly to halt fermentation at 5% ABV. It remains in the autoclave for another 20 days for cold settling after which time the wine is filtered under pressure and bottled. This long and slow process is paramount in the production of high quality Moscato and is rarely undertaken outside of Piedmont.
Tasting Notes
A delightful and perfectly balanced Moscato from where the style originated, Piedmont’s Asti region. Soft, fruity and semisweet, this lightly spritzed wine is perfect for before or after a meal. A ripe tropical fruit melange abounds, braced beautifully by bright acids and a crisp, clean finish.