Piedmont Series - Cascina Sot
First of all, my apologies for the long wait! I've been busy adding technical and functional improvements to Wineventory, and before I knew it, another holiday (this time to France) had come and gone, leaving even less time for blog writing.
One of those improvements is a new interface that makes it much easier for me to create blog posts, so hopefully you'll be seeing them more frequently from now on.
Anyway, on to the visit. The Cascina Sot winery is located in Montforte d'Alba, perched on a hill and surrounded by vineyards. From their patio, you're treated to a breathtaking view overlooking countless rows of vines stretching across the surrounding hills. It's a truly stunning sight. I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures in the heat of the moment, so unfortunately I don't have any photos of the view to share. You'll just have to take my word for how beautiful it was! I'll try to remember to take a few next time.
We started the visit with a guided tour through the vineyard, where we learned about the different terroirs of each plot and were given a detailed explanation of the winery's approach to winemaking. Afterwards, we headed inside for the part we had all been looking forward to: the wine tasting.
Langhe Nascetta
The first wine we got to taste was their Langhe Nascetta, a white wine made from the native Nascetta grape.
Langhe Nascetta white wine picture taken in my wine cellar.
We had already tasted a Langhe Nascetta from Osvaldo Viberti, so this gave us a great opportunity to compare the two. They were quite similar, but at €15 a bottle versus €8 for the Osvaldo Viberti, I didn't think the difference in quality fully justified the higher price. I ended up taking just a single bottle home.Barbera d'Alba
I believe we also tasted the Dolcetto before this one, but no one in our group ended up buying a bottle. Made from the Dolcetto grape, it's a light, easy-drinking wine that's perfect for enjoying on a terrace without food. We generally prefer wines with a bit more character, so we rarely end up taking one home.
Next up was the Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2024.
Barbera d'alba Superiore 2024 wine.
We all immediately liked this one. Barbera is typically a fruity, approachable grape, but it is also capable of developing considerable depth, and this wine is a great example of that. It's delicious on its own but also pairs beautifully with pasta dishes and lighter meat dishes. At €16.50 a bottle, I thought it offered excellent value for money, so I took four bottles home.
Barolo del Comune di Monforte d'Alba 2021
Barolo del comune di monforte d'alba 2021 picture taken in my cellar.
On to their first Barolo. As required by the DOCG regulations, it's made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. This wine is named after the town where Cascina Sot is located, with the grapes sourced from vineyards across all of their plots, making it their entry-level Barolo. That said, there was nothing basic about it. It was drinking beautifully, and at just €30 a bottle, I thought it offered good value, so I happily took home five bottles. While it's certainly enjoyable now, I suspect it will be even better after another two or three years in the cellar.
Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2021
Last but certainly not least, their flagship Barolo. Bricco San Pietro refers to a specific vineyard plot that consistently produces some of their finest grapes. Unfortunately, they didn't have a new Riserva available, as they only produce one in exceptional vintages. The 2016 Bricco San Pietro, for example, was released as a Riserva, and I still have a bottle resting in my cellar. Riserva or not, however, this wine certainly didn't disappoint. The 2021 vintage is also regarded as an excellent one, and it really shows in the glass. Personally, I'd recommend letting this wine age for at least another five years, but if you enjoy firm tannins and plenty of structure, it's already a pleasure to drink today.
Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2021 bottle in my wine cellar.
This was the wine that impressed me the most, so I ended up taking home a full case of six bottles. After all, €50 for a top-quality Barolo is still a very good deal.
And that's a wrap on my review of the tasting at Cascina Sot, as well as the second post in my Piemonte series. Next up will be a visit to either Fratelli Revello, Salvano, or Mauro Sebaste.
Stay tuned and cheers!