Sottimano Barbaresco ‘Fausoni’ 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Fausoni is a Barbaresco sui generis, slow in defining itself, with an important character that needs time and rest in the cellar to reach its peak. This vineyard in the heart of the hills of Neive produces very elegant wines with a full-bodied structure. Vine age here is 45+ years.

Meticulous selection of the best grapes in the vineyards and in the cellar is followed by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts. After long maceration on skins (traditionally two months with submerged cap), the wine is racked into French barriques and large barrels where it completes malolactic fermentation. Neither filtration nor fining takes place at the time of bottling. A further year’s rest in the bottle allows the wine to fulfil its full expressive potential.

Although the film below explores the 2016 Barbaresco Basarin it remains informative of the estate’s philosophy.

About Sottimano

“I can’t say enough good things about the Sottimano family and the work they have done over the years to firmly establish themselves among Barbaresco’s top growers.”

Antonio Galloni

Az. Agr. Sottimano was founded in 1975 by Maggiore Sottimano. The cellar and a small holding in the Cotta vineyard were purchased first, then over the next 30 years Maggiore expanded the estate’s Nebbiolo holdings in some of Barbaresco’s most revered vineyards – Cotta, Pajore, Fausoni, Curra and in 2001 Basarin. Today, Maggiore’s son Andrea is the winemaker and uses his father’s 30+ years of experience to make decisions in the vineyard.

In the Vineyard

Sottimano farms 14 ha of the finest organic Vineyards in the Village of Neive in the Barbaresco area.

The vineyards are farmed organically with cover crops promoting bio-diversity. By doing less, Andrea is taking risks, but moving foward and exploring new ground in terms of transparent, natural wines. These are among the most terroir-driven wines in the Langhe and the future is extremely bright at this estate

“I always believe that every great wine is the result of a serious, conscientious and passionate work in the vineyards. That’s the reason why, since from the first day, I always tried to avoid any chemical products and herbicides , to preserve the natural balance of our soils”.

Rino

In the Winery

Andrea has a light hand in the cellar and may be Barbareco’s most forward-thinking producer. Macerations for Nebbiolo are around 18-40 days, malolactic fermentation occurs naturally without warming the cellars, in barrique, on the lees for up to 12 months with no sulfur. Fermentation happens with natural, ambient yeasts and the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Where in the World is Sottimano?

Sottimano is based in the Commune of Neive, Barbaresco, Piedmont.