THE CASCINA ROERA WINES
The History
This is the story of a young and small estate in Piedmont. Cascina Roera was created in 2002 by two young entrepreneurs: Claudio ROSSO and Piero NEBIOLO (talk about predestined names!)
We were both producing quality wine before joining forces: but we thought that, together, we would further improve the quality of our products.
Claudio started to get involved with the family estate in 1985, but it is only in 2000 that he became a full time wine grower. His father was one of the pioneer in this trade in that he sold wine in bottles and not in bulk like the vast majority of the wine growers of this area. Piero was also born in a wine producing family: he also decided to focus on quality and NOT quantity. He started with 5 hectares among the most suitable he had available. He replanted them partly with Barbera and partly with other rootstock varieties such as Nebbiolo and Chardonnay.
Today all of our wines are produced by biological and organic methods.
Even though we have all the requisites to certify our estate as an organic one, we decided not to do so since we believe that, for the time being, the Italian certification process does not offer enough guaranties to the consumer regarding the organic nature of the product they purchase.
The Philosophy on Growing Grapes and Making Wine
We feel like we are artisans: artisans of wine making; thus, we have decided to produce quality wines: wines which would be respectful of the environment in which they are produced, as well as that of our customers.
Producing quality wine includes, first, the selection of rootstock varieties suitable for the area, and, second, their planting in soils suitable to the chosen varieties. Having made these choices it is essential to work the vineyards with minimal mechanical intervention. This includes the use of very light mechanical equipment, when used at all, (to keep the soil soft), the growing of grass between the wine rows (to keep the soil moisture), and an absolute ban of any herbicide, chemical fertilizers or insecticides. Vineyard are only sprayed minimally: and then only with copper or sulphur based products. This is essential in maintaining a natural balance between rootstock and the soil and subsoil it grows on. The quality of the resulting wine is a by-product of this field work philosophy.
Work in the cellar follows the same principles: minimal intervention during fermentation and ripening: this includes the use of gravity, and not pumps, when moving the pressed grapes into the fermentation vats, minimal racking, no filtering, and NO additives of any sort, including NO foreign yeast to assist the fermentation process. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is used only at very low levels, and then just before bottling. And then aging, aging, aging: in vats and then in bottles. This results in wines reaching the consumer with extremely low SO2 contents and ready to be enjoyed.
The Wines
LE AIE (CHARDONNAY)
The rootstocks from which this white is produced are between 15 and 20 years old. They grow on a single and continuous vineyard. The soil is a mixture of sand and clay with some areas more clayish than other. Approximately 7 tons of grapes are produced from this vineyard (the equivalent 6,500 bottles) for a yield per Hectares of about 5 tonnes of grapes.
The harvesting is done by hand in the coolest hours of the day from early to mid September. The grapes are carried in small baskets to avoid the braking and smashing of the berries prior to reaching the cellar.
Once pressed, the juice is decanted for about 12 hours. The fermentation takes place in small steel tanks and is matured in them for about 6 months. The wine is then bottled and kept aging for an additional 3 months, prior to shipping.
This wine is best served at 100-120 C. Drink with "antipasto" (hors d'oeuvres), fish, white meat or cheese.
CHAPIN (60% Chardonnay, 30% Arneis, 10% Cortese)
The vineyards that produces this white are characterized by a clayish/sandy soils: The vineyards are all facing South and East. The average age of the rootstock is from 10 to 20 years old. The yield is 80 tons per Hectare (about 10,000 bottles/Ha).
Harvest, done by hand, takes generally place between the 1st and the 20th of September. The grapes are carried on small baskets to avoid the smashing of the berries prior to reaching the cellar. Once pressed, the juice is decanted for 12 Hours, then fermented in small steel tanks. The aging is done in the same thanks and lasts approximately 6 months. The wine is then bottled and kept there for an additional 6 months, prior to shipping.
This wine is best served at 80 to 100C. Drink as an "aperitivo" before dinner or with light fish based "antipasto", green salad or risotto
LA ROERA (Barbera d'Asti DOCG)
The vineyards in which grows this type of Barbera are sandy/clayish (in jargon this means medium texture) and are facing West. The age of the rootstock varies from 10 to 30 years. 8 tons of grapes, the equivalent of 55 Hl of Barbera (7,300 bottles ) are produced and bottled under the La Roera label.
Harvesting takes place between the 1st and the 10th of October, and, as all other grapes, the grapes are carried to the cellar in small baskets. Crushing is done with a roller destemer crusher, and the juice is kept in contact with the skins from 10 to 20 days. Fermentation takes place in cement and in wooden vats for 9 months. The wine is then bottled and aged an additional 12 months prior to shipping.
This wine variety is served at 160 to 180C. Open the bottle a few hours before serving: this wine can age a lot, up to 10 years or more: so it loves breathing fresh air for a while before being served. Drink with meat based "antipasto", such as "carne cruda" (Carpaccio of Meat), and the main course especially when these include mushrooms, "Tajarin" (this is how tagliatelle are called around here), with meat sauce, "Agnolotti" (ravioli, elsewhere in Italy) with grilled meat sauce, lamb, meat or aged cheese.
IL CARDIN (Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG)
Cardin wine is best described as a "cru", since it comes from a selection of grapes from a single vineyard.
The grapes grow on a Westerly exposed vineyard and are characterized by a "medium grained" type of soil. The average rootstock is well over 30 years old. The vineyard is about 1 Hectare, it yields 5 tons of grapes or 4,700 bottles/Ha.
Harvesting takes place in early October: grapes are softly crushed and de-stemmed. The juice is kept in contact with the skin for 35/45 days in large wooden casks (no barrique please). Aging is also done in large wooden cask (8 to 20 Hl) for an additional 12 months: the wine is then further refined, in bottle, for another 12 to 18 months.
Serve at 160 to 180C. Open the bottle a few hours before serving, better still, open the bottle and pour the wine in a carafe, and then wait a few hours: as for the "Roera", Cardin can age a lot, up to 15 years or more: so it loves even more breathing fresh air for a while before being served. Drink with all you like: this is a "meditation" red.
IL SAN MARTINO (Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG)
The main difference between the San Martino's Barbera and Cardin's is the type of soil on which the grapes grow, the exposure of the vineyards, and the age of the rootstock: clayish for San Martino and sandyish for Cardin (giving Cardin a slightly more refined polishing than San Martino's), 15 years old rootstock for San Martino and more than 30 for Cardin (giving Cardin an edge over San Martino in terms of how long it can age ), Southerly exposure for San Martino and Westerly for Cardin (San Martino is harvested earlier than Cardin's).
IL MONFERRATO D'ASTI DOCG (Nebbiolo)
Don't be fooled by the name: this is Nebbiolo rootstock (from which Barolo and Barbaresco come from), but cannot be called as such since the area the grapes are grown is not "Langhe" but "Monferrato".
The vineyards are exposed Westerly and the soil is of medium texture. The wine trees are 10 years old on average and produce about 5 tons of grapes or the equivalent of 35 Hl of wine (4,700 bottles per year).
Harvesting is carried out between the15th and the 25th of October. The grapes are softly crushed with a destemer crusher, the juice is kept in contact with the skin for 30 to 40 days, then aged for between 24 and 36 months in wooden cask, and then in bottle for an additional 12 months.
Serve at 180, with first and main courses. As with all important wines open the bottle in advance and, when possible, pour in a carafe and let it rest for a few hours.
