Cenerina Cascina Val Liberata 2022
Slarina is an old Piedmont grape variety which was cultivated mainly in the wine region of Monferrato. In this area it was also known as “Cenerina” which derives from the word "cenere" (or ash in English), due to the abundance of bloom on each grape which gave the impression of a veil of ash covering the bunches. Slarina has a very low yield and it was for this reason that in the early 1900s it almost disappeared in favour of varietals with a higher yield such as Barbera or Bonarda.
It was thanks to the work of Anna Schneider and Stefano Raimondi (Research Institute for the Protection of Sustainable Plants, University of Turin), that Slarina was rediscovered and inserted into the National Register in 2007.
Cenerina is a red wine made exclusively from Slarina grapes grown according to the biodynamic method. The vineyard is planted at an altitude of 300-400 meters above sea level on soil consisting mainly of clay and limestone.
Fermentation is conducted by only indigenous yeasts in steel tanks and aging, on the other hand, lasts 11 months and takes place in cement containers.
Cascina Val Liberata - Maurizio Caffer - Murisengo
Cascina Val Liberata is an organic and biodynamic farm set up in 2014 by Deirdre O’Brien and Maurizio Caffer in Villamiroglio, a village in the hills of Monferrato in Piedmont. It is located in a biodiverse valley surrounded by forests and fields, without the presence of conventional agricultural practices. The farm is made up of 10 hectares, of which 3.5 hectares are composed of vineyards. The remaining is made up of forest and meadows aswell as walnut groves and some vegetable cultivation.
Three grape varieties are grown: Slarina (1.5 hectares), Nebbiolo (1.5 hectares) and Grignolino (0.5 hectares). The vineyards are planted following the aspect of the hills (giropoggio) and chestnut posts are used in order to minimise environmental impact such as soil erosion.
To improve soil vitality, the biodynamic calendar is followed and intervention is taken using biondynamic preparations. In autumn they plant a cover crop in alternate rows in order to create a green manure to improve the fertility of the ground. They also use herbal extracts to reduce the amount of copper used in the vineyard. Natural sulphur (not petroleum derived) with bentonite clay and calcified seaweed is used to protect the plants form the range of cryptogamic diseases.
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