Poderi Cellario Il Baffone Bianco Pet Nat NV

Winemaker: Fausto and Cinzia Cellario

Appellation: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy

Grape Varieties: Nascetta, Moscato Giallo

The Baffone (means big mustache!) is a blend of nascetta (a rare native Piemontese variety with excellent skins for maceration) and moscato giallo vinified dry. The must was skin contact during primary fermentation (~5 days) in stainless steel before being bottled with conserved passito must to induce secondary fermentation; Cellario makes a small amount of late harvest wine and he uses these dried grapes to kick start the bottle fermentation. No sulfur added and no disgorgement.

Fausto and Cinzia Cellario are 3rd generation winemakers in the village of Carru` on the western outskirts of the Langhe.  The family believes in only working with local, indigenous Piemontese grape varieties and fiercely defends local winemaking traditions both in the vineyard work and the cellar practices.  The Cellario vineyard holdings cover some 30 ha between 5 different vineyard sites covering the southern Langhe. With holdings in Novello and Monforte, the Dogliani plot is arguably the family’s most prestigious land and I would consider them Dolcetto specialists.  Vineyard work is organic (soon to be certified) and all the fermentation take place with indigenous yeasts. Sulfur is only added in tiny quantities at bottling if necessary (a practice not common with a winery in this mid-size range).