The 2024 grape harvest kicks off, starting as always with Arneis. «We have started just in these days», Sergio Marchisio announces: «All is well: it will be a good year, net of climatic difficulties». The spring and summer rain, in fact, unleashed downy mildew, forcing winemakers to continuous treatments. «We, then, faithful to the organic specification, have been forced into real overwork». Result? More than acceptable: sprinkling the rows with natural products such as essential oils made it possible to merge more than 90 percent of the bunches to safety. «The quality of the berries is also optimal: our Roero Arneis, which is organic and biodynamic, is in no danger».
A true pioneer of organic in the Roero, Sergio Marchisio was the first producer to plant Arneis in Castellinaldo, a traditional land of Barbera. It’s no coincidence that Castellinaldo Doc, the only recognized subzone for Barbera d’Alba (a spectacular Barbera “superiore”, long aged in wood), is now bottled on those hills. But Marchisio was not content with Arneis satin cork: he also wanted to sparkle it and then vinify it in amphora. The Faiv classic method, 100% Arneis, represents a historic achievement: the first bubbles born from the most typical white grape variety of the Roero. Last step, ceramics: 2-3,000 bottles a year. A special Arneis, produced by rediscovering the ancient virtues of traditional Caucasian wineskins, which give the wines an extraordinary delicacy.
Instead, the bulk of the Roero Arneis is vinified in steel. And it remains the flagship wine of the Marchisio Family: production reaches 80-100,000 bottles per year. A very special Arneis, genuine, without added yeasts. Much appreciated even in Northern Europe and in the difficult market of Canada. Yet another piece of good news, the timing of the harvest: last year, due to the prolonged drought and record temperatures, the harvest had begun just after mid-August. This year, the blessing the Roero wine hills needed most fell plentifully: rain. More work, all right, to contain the downy mildew. But in the end, full satisfaction: the Arneis 2024 will also stand out for their inimitable personality. A gift that makes them unique, truly different from all others.
