Carussin
Next to the pretty Asti village of San Marzano Oliveto lies the closed Valle (dei) Asinari, so named after the Marchese di Marzano family who once owned the land. Today, approx. 13 ha of it is owned & farmed by Bruna Ferro & her husband Luigi Garberoglio, their two sons Matteo & Luca; another 3 ha of Nizza Monferrato (Barbera) vines belongs to Luigi’s family (that he currently blends into Asinoi). 80% of the family farm is devoted to growing organic, biodynamic Barbera d’Asti, the rest is planted to mainly Moscato!
Bruna’s 4th generation family herald from nearby Calosso (roman Callocius), & it was they who bought the Cà di Carussin farm along with 4ha in 1921. They started vinifying the grapes soon after, in 1927, with the obligatory wheat & maize planted between the rows! Skip forward to the 1960s when Bruna recalls selling their wine in demi-john to Milanese private customers, who thirst for their Carussin wine increased to 12 demi-johns/family/annum by the 1980s! In the meantime they’d also developed a market in Genova. Alas in 1988, Bruna’s father Carlo Ferro at only 55 yo, leaving her to continue the good work. Apparently each generation is obliged to add 3.5ha of vines!
Luigi & Bruna’s sons, Matteo & Luca, now work alongside their parents. Luca is a graduate of Alba’s Umberto 1 Enological School, & has a debolezza/weakness for making (delicious) beer, as well as wine! The wines are mainly vinified in a combination of fibre glass & stainless-steel tanks, with sulphur dioxide used sparingly!
The wines
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"Asinoi" Barbera d'Asti DOCG – 2015
Red 100% Barbera • vines age average of 40 years • Clayey-Sandy Soil • North-West/South-West Exposures • Up to 250 m a.s.l • At least 10 days of skin contact in fiberglass vats • Minimum 6 months in stainless steel tanks • At least 2 weeks of bottle fining -
"Lia Vi" Barbera d'Asti DOCG – 2016
Red 100% Barbera • vines age over 40 years old • Clayey-Sandy Soil • South-East Exposure • Up to 250 m a.s.l • At least 10 days of skin contact in fiberglass vats • Minimum 10 months spent into concrete vats • At least 2 months of bottle fining -
Completo Rosso 1L – N/V
Red Mainly Barbera with a bit of Dolcetto,Grignolino, Freisa and Cab. Franc • vines age 3-45 years old• type of soil Calcareous limestone with sandy veins • Various Exposures • Up to 250 m a.s.l • At least 10 days of skin contact in fiberglass vats • At least 4 months in fiberglass vats • At least 2 weeks of bottle fining -
"Filari Corti" Moscato VDT – N/V
Sparkling white 100% Moscato d’Asti • vines age 3- 38 years old • Clayey – sandy Soil with some vines (younger ones) on limestone spots • South/South-West Exposures • soft pressing of the grapes Fermentation under controlled temperature, stabilization is in stainless steel pressurized tanks for 1 year and bottling in iso-baric environment
