Brandini

Brandini - two sisters make eco

The Brandini winery is located in the Langhe, in the heart of the Barolo region. Serena and Giovanna Bascagno farm four Grand Cru sites here, from which they produce grapes for one of Italy's most famous wines. In 2007, the Bascagno sisters' father took over Agricola Brandini and revitalized the winery. Giovanna and Serena grew up in the vineyards and eventually took over the estate from their parents, who still support them today. The estate operates completely organically and has aligned its operations accordingly. The Bascagnos say themselves:

"We have always believed that organic farming is a way of life rather than a production method. We believe in the importance of this philosophy to leave the earth in a better condition than we found it. Our grapes are grown with full respect for the wonderful land that hosts us, for the people who work there, and for the consumers who choose us. Sometimes, in order to follow an ideal, you have to have the courage to follow more difficult paths."

The Brandini terroir

18 hectares of vineyards are available to the estate. The vineyards cover the municipalities of La Morra (where the headquarters are located), Serralunga d'Alba and Monforte d'Alba. Accordingly, the characteristics of the vineyards are different and Brandini takes advantage of this to give different grape varieties the optimal terroir. In principle, however, the soils are composed of limestone, clay and sand. According to ecological principles, all the vineyards are planted with vegetation, which benefits the biodiversity and the nutrient balance of the soil. The following grape varieties are cultivated:

• Nebbiolo - the Barolo grape variety
• Dolcetto
• Barbera
• Pinot Nero
• Chardonnay
• Moscato
• Viognier
• Arneis

The fillets are the already mentioned Grand Cru sites, which are reserved for Barolo and so for the Nebbiolo grape variety. From these are vinified the Barolo named R56, Annunziata, Meriame and Cerretta.

The path of the grapes in the Brandini cellar

In the cellar, in accordance with the philosophy of organic viticulture, there is as little intervention as possible in the production of wine. This starts with the spontaneous fermentation of the must, which takes place in large stainless steel tanks under temperature control. For some wines, such as the Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbera Superiore, it then continues in wooden barrels. These are all quite large, with volumes ranging from 20 to 60 hl, and are all made of Slavonian oak. Particular focus is placed here on the Nebbiolo grape variety, which is the flagship for the region and also for Brandini.

The wines of Brandini are characterized by the soil type and maturation rather feminine, elegant, fruity and floral, which makes them easily accessible even in early years. The wines of Brandini are now regularly awarded, especially stands out the R56 Barolo, which could already get the coveted three glasses of the Italian wine publication Gambero Rosso several times.