Notes from North Berkeley Imports:

"Luigi Vico’s family roots in the Barolo village of Serralunga d’Alba reach back to 1694, yet it took more than 300 years, and the dedication of a native son, for the family name to appear on a Barolo wine.

Luigi’s passion for viticulture started when he was just a boy. He would often help his grandparents during the summer months as they tended by hand their few acres of well-placed vineyard land, purchased by their own parents, in the early 1900s. While they did bottle some of their harvest for the family, most of their Nebbiolo grapes were sold off to local winemakers.

As is common in many agricultural families, subsequent generations often leave the farm to seek employment elsewhere, leaving behind the grueling work that vine growing can require. The family land was rented out on long-term contracts, and with that, the family’s vinous ties to Serralunga seemed to come to a close.

Eventually, fate knocked on Luigi Vico’s door. Well-established in Turin with his family, Luigi still longed for those summers in the fields with his grandparents. And with the long-awaited expiration of the rental contracts, Luigi realized that he could best honor his family’s legacy in Serralunga by reclaiming his vineyards and crafting, finally, a Barolo wine from the family land.

Luigi reached out to one of Serralunga’s most respected and talented winemakers, Davide Rosso of Azienda Agricola Giovanni Rosso, to help him craft his wines. Their first vintage is the incredibly auspicious 2016, a landmark year for Barolo – and it is clear that there is much more in store from this exciting partnership.

Cuvee Notes:

In a small plot in Serralunga called ‘Prato Done,’ purchased by Luigi Vico’s great-grandparents in 1900, you’ll find perfect older Moscato vines that give birth to this lightly sweet and bubbly Moscato d’Asti wine. Considered one of the oldest grapes in the Piedmont area, Moscato Bianco (also known as Muscat a Petit Grains) only began to be crafted in a light, frizzante style in the mid-1800s. Today it is typically enjoyed as a refreshing dessert wine.

Echinopsis mirabilis, or the “flower of prayer,” is a small cactus that blooms in summer, its white, strongly scented flower appearing at night and only for a few hours."