Castaldi
Piedmont
With over 300 years farming the hills around Fara and Colline Novaresi, Castaldi offers deep winemaking know-how of this corner in Alto Piedmont. The modern-day story begins, however, with Francesca Castaldi, who took over the family vineyards in 1997. She replanted some of the already existing parcels, choosing planting distances suitable for a more modern viticulture. In 2011, a new cellar allowed Francesca to offer a modern interpretation of Briona’s terroir signature. From 2016 her son Marco started to work with her at the winery, ensuring the continuation of the Castaldi family’s wine tradition. The main variety grown is Nebbiolo, which on this kind of soil gets peculiar characteristics of elegance and refinement. Along with Nebbiolo, Castaldi plants Vespolina, Uva Rara and white indigenous grapes which are local varieties. All viticulture and harvesting are managed by hand, with traditional winemaking including long macerations and large format, neutral vessel aging.
Wines
Nina Vespolina
Vespolina is an indigenous grape to this part of Italy, often used in blends to provide a racy, spicy character to a blend. The vineyard has optimal exposures for ripening and features clay and silt-dense soils. Winemaking is uncomplicated, allowing a precise profile of this unique varietal.
Valceresole Uva Rara
Uva Rara pops with a fresh fruit character, providing a friendly blending component to Nebbiolo in this area (here called Spanna). Castaldi crafts this mono-varietal label without oak influence, allowing the varietal to shine on it’s own.
Fara
Featuring a blend of Nebbiolo (70%) and Vespolina (30%), Castaldi’s Fara is a traditional take on the region’s unique blending of varietals. The result is simultaneously lush yet structured, taking in the taught tannic nature of Nebbiolo alongside the joyful fruit of Vespolino. Large format, neutral oak aging for 24 months.
People
Francesca Castaldi
The Castaldi family has been farming this region since the 1700’s, but it was Francesca’s father Pierino who really threw his passion and innovations into the vineyards and wines. In 1997, his daughter Francesca took over the family vineyards and started a project of renewal. In the vineyards, she changed the vineyard plots from the traditional pergola pruning system to Guyot, which was in line with some more modern growing techniques happening in other regions of Italy and beyond. She then eliminated all use of chemicals and fertilizers and is now practicing organic viticulture.
