“Bric del Baio”, Langhe Nebbiolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, which are sourced from a handful of top parcels in Treiso and Barbaresco. What these parcels have in common is that they all face west, were planted in 2001 and consist mainly of limestone and marl subsoil, something that gives both finesse, aroma and structure to the wines. The wine is fermented in steel tanks and then transferred to Slavonian wooden barrels (20-30 hl. “botti” from Gamba), where it undergoes a malolactic fermentation and is then matured for 10-15 months.
The wine has a beautiful, deep, ruby red color. In the aroma, it reveals classic fruity notes of pickled cherries and plums. The taste is complex and fleshy with an elegance that makes it pleasant even in its youth. It is a very harmonious and charming wine – typical qualities of great wines from Piedmont. Try it with classic Italian dishes with veal, beef, lamb or with pasta dishes. Also suitable for white mold cheese. Serving temperature: 16-18°C.
Ca’ del Baio has been owned and run by the Grasso family for 4 generations and since 1880. The family today has a distinguished portfolio of fields near the village of Treiso (7 km. from Alba), as well as in Barbaresco itself. They thus have plots in some of the best fields in the area, including in “Asili”, “Valgrande”, “Marcarini” and “Pora”. Ca’ del Baio has (naturally) primarily planted the fields with Nebbiolo, but they also grow Barbera, Dolcetto, Moscato, Chardonnay and… Riesling!
It is still the 3rd generation, in the form of Giulio Grasso, who is responsible for the operation – well helped by his wife Luciana. The two oenologist-educated daughters, Paola and Valentina, as the 4th generation are also part of the business and are continuously handed over an increasingly large part of the responsibility.
Ca’ del Baio has undergone fantastic positive development in recent years and has been able to combine tradition and innovation in the best possible way. Stainless steel tanks, large classic casks of 20-30 hl. (from top producer Gamba) and smaller casks of 500 and 225 l are used in fine harmony. During the fermentation, only the grapes’ natural yeast is used and nothing else is added to the wine than a very limited amount of SO2 (sulphur dioxide), which helps to ensure that the wines develop well during maturation in the bottle.
The wines from Ca’ del Baio have now won a place among the elite in both Italian and international wine guides, and it was thus no coincidence that in 2016 Giulio Grasso was awarded the very prestigious award “Viticoltore dell’anno” (“Winemaker of the Year” ) by the highly respected Italian wine guide “Gambero Rosso”.
Langhe DOC/DOP covers the whole of the Cuneo province in north-west Italy and thus also spans a wide spectrum of wines – both red and white. The name Langhe is used i.a. for wines from e.g. the Alba, Roero, Dogliani districts, but also from the Barolo and Barbaresco districts, if they are not produced from 100% Nebbiolo, as required for these particular wines. If DOC/DOP Langhe is followed by a grape variety on the label, the grape variety must constitute min. 85% of the wine.
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC was introduced in 1993 and includes the slopes around Alba with areas such as Barolo and Barbaresco. The law requires a minimum of 85% Nebbiolo, which is thus often supplemented with, for example, Barbera or other grapes.
