From vines up to sixty years old planted on steep hills lined with chalk. When Ezio’s Moscato grapes are fully ripe he cuts the shoot which connects the bunches to the vine, leaving the fruit to wither, dangling in the autumn sunshine for a couple of months.The grapes are then pressed immediately and wild fermented in wooden casks. Fermentation can last over a year and the wine spends a minimum of three years in old barrels before release. Ezio’s patience in both the vineyard and cellar yields a wine of unusual complexity. This is incredibly bright and vibrant, its sweetness tempered by vibrant acidity, spice and a saline touch from those chalky soils.
Ezio Cerruti has seven hectares of vines surrounding his home in the commune of Castiglione Tinella, about halfway between Asti and the Langhe. Principally, Ezio works with just one grape. His Moscato vines are up to 60 years old and planted on steep slopes about 400 metres above sea level. Unusually for the area, they are worked organically and the long grass and wildflowers between the rows here stand in stark contrast to the more draconian setups nearby. In the cellar Ezio is a perfectionist, an introverted guy who is happiest growing grapes, making wine and doing things the right way. Whether sparkling, dry or sweet, when you open a bottle from Ezio, you'll find a lively wine of rare harmony, where fruit, flowers, salt and spice intertwine.