Tenuta Olim Bauda

Moscato d'Asti is one of the oldest aromatic wines in Piedmont – and Fontanile, north of Nizza Monferrato, has been one of its best vineyards for centuries. When Giovanni Agostino Bertolino acquired the Tenuta Bauda in 1961 and later the Cascina Centive in this very village, he followed a simple conviction: Where the soil is right, the wine needs little more than careful hands. 100% Moscato Bianco from organically farmed vineyards. Hand-picked, gentle pressing, short maceration time, fermentation in autoclaves at low temperatures for 20 to 30 days – the fine effervescence is created during fermentation. Fermentation is interrupted by cooling, microfiltration, bottling as early as November – two months after the harvest. It could hardly be fresher.

"Grignolino is the reddest of all white wines and the whitest of all red wines." Veronelli is said to have said so – and once you have a glass in front of you, you immediately understand why. Bright ruby red with an amber-coloured shimmer, almost transparent, with a delicacy that no other Piedmontese red has. And yet: a red wine, decidedly dry, with tannin and character. Grignolino is difficult – difficult in the vineyard, difficult in the press, demanding to handle. Because of its many seeds, it runs the risk of developing too much bitterness. The Bertolinos have known this for decades. The grapes come from vineyards in Isola d'Asti, on Pliocene sedimentary soils in the Asti basin, organically farmed. Hand-picked, pressed in the evening on the harvest, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a maximum temperature of 28°C. No wood. No wood.

Barbera with origin and attitude: La Villa has been Olim Bauda's favourite wine for decades – not because it is particularly loud, but because it seems so natural. No barrique, no spectacle, but plenty of character. The secret lies in the balance: fruit and freshness, elegance and energy – everything is there, nothing imposes itself. Bright ruby in the glass with a youthful violet colour. The bouquet plays on the fresh side: sour cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, a hint of violet and a delicate mineral note. On the palate, the typical tension of Asti-Barbera – juicy, clearly contoured, with supple tannins and fine length. A wonderfully authentic wine that breathes the soul of Piedmont – spontaneous, lively, unaffected. If you want to understand the essence of this grape variety, this is the perfect wine for every day. SUPERIORE.DE

Between fields of mist and the nearby Ligurian cliffs, the Cortese grape in Gavi clings to old hillsides, where it becomes one of the most determined white wine voices in Piedmont. Olim Bauda turns it into Gavi di Gavi with real radiance – powerful in expression, but light as a feather in experience. Delicate straw yellow with a silvery lustre. Then yellow fruit: Apple, pear and melon interweave with mint and a hint of chalk – mineral, fresh and refined. No wood flavours, just pure Cortese – elegant, vibrant, unaffected. On the palate, the wine plays on the high strings: lively freshness, charming citrus notes, fine fruit structure and a salty, stimulating minerality that makes you want to savour the next sip.

The Bertolino family has been producing this Nebbiolo for over 50 years – and old adverts from the early years show what has never changed: deep ruby red, delicate violet perfume, a wine that was intended from the outset as a storage wine. Not as a substitute for Barolo, but as an independent statement about a grape variety that appears in many guises in Piedmont. The grapes come from Castellinaldo in the Roero – the area west of the Tanaro, which is known for its particularly elegant Nebbioli. Here, on sandier, calcareous soils, the Nebbiolo develops a finesse and accessibility that distinguishes it from the more structured Barolo style. Hand-picked in crates, last week of October. Maceration in steel at a controlled temperature. Then 18 months in 25-hectolitre oak barrels, followed by further bottle ageing before release.

Chardonnay only arrived in Piedmont in the 19th century – late for a region with such a deep winemaking tradition. But in the municipalities of Fontanile and Castel Boglione, north of Nizza Monferrato, the grape variety found a soil that took it seriously: Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili, an alternation of fossilised marl and sandstone with a good proportion of limestone. The Bertolino family discovered this potential in the 1950s and 60s – at a time when the region's sparkling wine production demanded a Chardonnay of exceptional quality. Today, Tenuta Olim Bauda only produces a few thousand bottles from these vineyards. The grapes are harvest in the first week of September. Gentle pressing, only pre-fermentation must. 36 hours of contact with the fine lees at 5°C with bâtonnage for aromatic extraction, followed by static clarification. Fermentation in large 50-hectolitre wooden vats for around 15 days. Maturation in tonneaux, 10% of which are new, for around one year.

Barbera is the backbone of Asti, so to speak. More planted than any other grape variety in the province, more familiar on every table, more accessible than the great Nebbiolo – and yet in the best vineyards it has a depth that refutes any comparison with the simple everyday wine. The Bertolino family has understood this from the very beginning. Le Rocchette is their proof. 100% Barbera with a maximum yield of 80 to 90 quintals per hectare. Hand-picked in the first week of October, processed the same evening. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Then 18 months in 25-hectolitre French Allier oak barrels, which give the Barbera structure and depth without taking away its characteristic freshness. A further six months in the bottle. The Superiore appellation is not a formality here.

Nizza is the youngest and at the same time most demanding DOCG in Piedmont. Officially recognised in 2014, originating as a subzone of Barbera d'Asti Superiore from the turn of the millennium, it comprises 18 carefully selected municipalities of Monferrato, all concentrated on those hilly, calcareous-sandy soils of the tertiary sedimentary layers that give Barbera its characteristic depth and minerality. Tenuta Olim Bauda has been one of its most convincing interpreters right from the start. The vineyards are located in the heart of the production zone, between Nizza Monferrato and Incisa Scapaccino, sandy-loamy soils on exposed south-facing slopes, historical vines next to younger plots. Hand-picked in the first and second week of October, pressing in the evening, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature. Then matured for 30 months in 25-hectolitre French Allier oak barrels – more time than required by the Riserva regulations, and that was a conscious decision.