COLOMBERA & GARELLA
Colombera & Garella is a feel-good, comeback story about a historical wine region in Italy that is still recovering from near death. Alto Piemonte is a small and sprawling wine region that is roughly about an hour drive northeast of Turin. Alto Piemonte is close to Swiss border with continental weather. There are no flat large vineyards in Alto Piemonte. It is continuous rolling hills that twist and turn, leaving only tiny southerly exposed surfaces suited for growing vines. Only dedicated wine-crazy families would cultivate such terrain. As if the weather and terrain were not quite difficult enough, the primary grape in the region is the high-maintenance, late-ripening, low-yielding but ultimately operatic Nebbiolo. Once one drinks a great bottle of Alto Piemonte, one begins to understand the dedication of the wine-crazy families, who are willing to risk all.
Cristiano Garella began tasting and enjoying wines starting at the age of thirteen. That's right. Thirteen. He was born and raised in Alto Piemonte. During his youth, he put all his savings into buying and drinking old vintages of Alto Piemonte and other Italians wines. By the time he was eighteen, he read, travelled and tasted much of Italian wines. Giacomo Colombera first met Cristinao Garella in the soccer fields, when they were playing for different teams. Through their friendship, Giacomo and Cristiano together began their new winery in 2010 - hence, the name of their adventure. The vineyards are with the Colombera family, while the cellar magic is with both Colombera and Garella. Drinking their wines somewhat diminishes the past pain of Alto Piemonte and brightly burns the incandescent hope for the future.
MELASCONE
From the parcels in Costa della Sesia. This wine is a blend of typically about 70% Nebbiolo, 15% Vespolina and 15% Croatina. Each varietal is picked by hand and fermented separately with ambient yeasts. Aging is in neutral barrels for about six months. Then, the wine is blended into concrete tanks for additional six months to rest prior to bottling.
BRAMATERRA 'CASCINA COTTIGNANO'
From the Cascina Cottignano parcel, where the soil transitions drastically from volcanic clay to volcanic sand. The vines are 60 years old on average. It is a blend typically of 80% Nebbiolo, 10% Vespolina, and 10% Croatina but the blend varies with each vintage. The wine is aged for two years in botti (6000 litre traditional barrel). The various bottis are then blended and aged in neutral vats to rest prior bottling. This Bramaterra cellars beautifully and will age for many years.
LESSONA 'PIZZAGUERRA'
Whereas Bramaterra has volcanic sand, Lessona has marine sand from a risen seabed. Lessona is only a ten-minute drive from Bramaterra but the soil composition is completely different. Lessona is aged in neutral barrels for two years. Then, the wines in various barrels are blended into concrete tanks to rest for an additional year prior to bottling. It is 100% Nebbiolo. Lessona is considered to be one of the finest villages in Alto Piedmonte. This Lessona will last for many years in a good cellar.
CAVAZUCCHI
Cavazucchi is from the single 0.8-hectare parcel in Bramaterra that was planted in 1912. Cavazucchi is about 85% Nebbiolo and the remainder being Croatina and Vespolina. The wine sees about 2 years in neutral wooden vats, followed by another year in bottles prior to release. Cavazucchi is a parcel known for imbuing beautiful fragrance.
VISPAVOLA
Vispavola is made from 100% Vespolina, which is a red spicy varietal native to Alto Piemonte. After years of adding a bit of Vespolina into their Lessona and Bramaterra, Giacomo and Cristinao decided to bottle the Vespolina varietal separately a few years ago.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Region: Alto Piemonte
Size: 9.5 hectares
Viticulture: Organic, not certified
Labels
Region: Alto Piemonte
Size: 9.5 hectares
Viticulture: Organic, not certified
Labels
(The labels are not current vintages and are shown for illustration purposes only)
