In the Piedmontese dialect, “autinbej” covers a selection of the very best Nebbiolo grapes, which come from selected plots on the property, where the soil conditions and ripening are optimal. Giulio Grasso’s father, Ernesto, often used this word to denote the most optimal places in the vineyards. While 2014 was a difficult vintage in most Italian wine regions, including Piedmont, almost perfect conditions were experienced in a limited area of Barbaresco, and it was therefore decided at Ca’ del Baio to produce a new, exclusive Barbaresco in this particular vintage: “Autinbej ”.
The grapes for this wine are primarily sourced from two parcels, one facing west and the other east. This provides a perfect balance between freshness, finesse, structure and meatiness. The vines here were planted in 2008 and 2009, on a classic soil of marl, lime and sand. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled steel tanks, and after a malolactic fermentation, the wine is matured for 24 months in large Slavonian wooden barrels (boti) and after bottling in min. 4 months in bottle.
The wine has a beautiful, ruby red color and in the very intense and endearing aroma you will find nuances of violets, raspberries and cherry stones as well as spicy notes of white pepper and bitter chocolate. Many of the same notes are also found in the taste, which is both complex and harmonious. The aftertaste reveals good tannin and concentrated fruit, but also a nice finesse. It will work well with duck, pork, lamb or game. Served in large glasses.
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”.
Few places on earth are more beautiful than Piedmont on a sunny autumn day. The rolling hills with vineyards stand in golden colors with the snowy Alps in the background and blue sky above. What characterizes the autumn in Piedmont is now otherwise mist, which occurs when the cold mountain air from the Alps meets the warm air from the lowlands. In terms of wine, there are no other areas in Italy with so many DOC and DOCG. Wines such as Barbaresco, Barolo, Langhe, Barbera d’Alba or Moscato d’Asti have their staunch supporters, although the high prices for some of the wines put a damper on enthusiasm.
The area on the slopes around the village of Barbaresco, which produces DOCG Barbaresco (approx. 700 ha.) from pure Nebbiolo grapes, is cultivated quite intensively, and as soil conditions and exposure vary greatly, the style and quality of the wines from the district can vary greatly . In fact, there are no less than 66 “subzones” (“menzioni geografiche aggiuntive” or MeGAs) in the DOCG, and among them quite a few famous vineyards, which can almost be compared to “Cru” fields known from France. Of course, the skill of the producers also has a lot to say. For Barbaresco too, strict legislation regarding the regulation of e.g. yield and barrel aging has meant a major improvement in quality.
