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THE VINEYARDS

Balbi Soprani cultivates 21 hectares of land in the municipalities of Santo Stefano Belbo and Cossano Belbo located in the hills of the Moscato d’Asti district. A land of exquisite beauty and ancient traditions which has been recognized as a World Heritage Site for its tradition of wine-making. Steep rocky slopes with an inclination of more than 50% follow one after another. The cultivation of the land might be called heroic requiring the slow and ongoing labour of building terraces to reclaim land from the dense forests and steep slopes and planting vineyards over the millennia.

Among the vines is the bare earth, open to the sky, stealing the sun from them by day. The sun burns all day up there, and the earth is limey: it can be seen in the dark.

Cesare Pavese

SOIL FOR GRAPEVINES

In geological terms, the Moscato hills originated in the tertiary era. The Miocene in underwater formations date back more than 20 million years. The soil consists of deposits of sandy calcareous conglomerates and limey white marl. This property gives it the “limey” look described by writer Cesare Pavese as a fine, white powder that becomes extremely hot by day and shines in the moonlight at night raising clouds of dust with every step. The unusual features of the local terrain and microclimate, the inclination of the land and its exposure to the sun make the Moscato wine produced here truly unique with its original aromatic qualities, fineness and unmatched elegance and freshness.

SORÌ: THE MOSCATO “BADLANDS”

The area in which Asti Docg and Moscato d’Asti Docg can be made was officially defined in 1932, incorporating 52 municipalities in the territory of three provinces: Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo. A total of about 10 thousand hectares of land on the right bank of the Tanaro River are planted with Moscato bianco vines. The landscape is made up of elongated hills with numerous steep “badlands”: particularly steep with high slopes. These are known locally as Sorì and are home to the sunniest, steepest vineyards with an inclination of more than 50% in the Santo Stefano and Cossano Belbo areas.

SANTA LIBERA

Cossano Belbo

This splendid 6-hectare vineyard is located in the district of Santa Libera in the municipality of Cossano Belbo. A steep vineyard at an elevation of about 400 metres, partially terraced, with excellent exposure in an uncontaminated area of natural beauty surrounded by luxuriant forests and hazelnut groves.

SAN GRATO CASCINA BORMIDA

Santo Stefano Belbo

Cascina Bormida is the vineyard next to the winery, just outside the town of Santo Stefano Belbo towards Cossano Belbo consisting of 9 hectares planted with Moscato Bianco and Brachetto at an average elevation of 200 meters

SAN GRATO MONTI

Santo Stefano Belbo

The San Grato Monti vineyard is located at a high elevation of San Grato with an average altitude of 400 metres. Measuring about 1.5 hectares, the vineyard is bordered by the Belbo River to the west and by cool wooded areas to the east. The highest part of the San Grato vineyard offers not only breath-taking views but evidence of the extraordinary work of terracing that has made it possible to grow grapes in the area
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