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Vineyard Notes: Sourced entirely from the dedicated "Maté" vineyard, a tiny 1.1 to 1.5-hectare single-parcel cru located in the commune of Neive (the heart of the Barbaresco zone). These are 40+ year-old vines—exceptionally old for Brachetto—planted on steep, lean slopes consisting of limestone and clay marl. Strictly organic with zero insecticides or chemical pesticides. Andrea Sottimano focuses heavily on biodiversity, keeping natural grass cover crops between the rows and limiting yields drastically to ensure intense aromatic concentration.
Winemaking Notes: Brachetto is historically vinified as a sweet, sparkling, low-alcohol beverage (like Brachetto d'Acqui). Sottimano flips the script by fermenting it fully dry and completely still. 100% spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts. It undergoes a surprisingly long 20-day maceration on the skins to coax out savory complexities without grabbing aggressive tannins. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation occurs in stainless steel vats, where the wine rests on its lees for roughly 6 to 8 months. No oak barrels touch this wine; they want pure juice transparency. Bottled completely unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.
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Closure: Cork
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