Moscato d’Asti 101 D.O.C.G. Ca’ del Baio 2020 75 cl.

The name “101” comes from the fact that the grapes are picked from plot no. 101, which is considered the best vineyard for Moscato in the area, and where the vines were planted in 1953 and 1994. At Ca’ del Baio, the Moscato grape is harvested as early as mid-September in order to retain as much fruit character, freshness and crispness as possible in the must. As with all Moscato d’Asti, and unlike a Champagne, which is fermented in two rounds, the first in tank and the second in bottle, Moscato is fermented in one round. Fermentation takes place in steel tanks, and is simply stopped when the wine reaches an alcohol percentage of 5-6%. The wine is therefore more sparkling than sparkling. In order to preserve the freshness of the wine, it is first bottled continuously and immediately before shipping.

Moscato d’Asti from Ca’ del Baio has an almost perfect balance between sweetness and freshness. It has the delicate and exotic fruit character of the Moscato grape but does not seem overwhelming. It is a very charming and delicate wine, which will be perfect for a welcome drink, for a dessert or for a small glass early in the morning. Like all Moscato d’Asti, it should be drunk young. Serve chilled but not ice cold.

Ca’ del Baio has been owned and run by the Grasso family for 4 generations and since 1880. Today, the family has a distinguished portfolio of fields near the village of Treiso (7 km. from Alba) and in Barbaresco itself – a total of 28 ha. 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!

For the Grasso family, respect for nature has always been a matter of course rather than a formulated philosophy, and for many years no artificial fertilizers or pesticides have been used in the fields. But in 2017, the respect gained substance in a more formulated philosophy, when they joined a new local project in Piedmont, which aims to promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly wine production. The project is called “The Green Experience” and is an aid and control body where you undertake to respect and comply with a set of rules on 10 points. In addition to promoting a more sustainable and environmentally friendly wine production (including without chemicals), the set of regulations also aims to promote biodiversity, flora protection and the spread of beneficial insects and birds, for example.