Corsini

The young winery of Nicola Argamante and his wife Loredana "Lolly" Addari has only a few years of history, 1995 being its first vintage. It has a complicated name which translates roughly to “the agricultural farm of Ruggeri in the hamlet of Corsini”. Ruggeri is the family name of Nicola’s maternal grandparents, and Corsini is the name of the contrada, a tiny village of ancient stone houses. We call it simply “Corsini” for short.

Both Nicola and Loredana have degrees in Viticulture, and both had booming careers working with other wineries before embarking on their dream: moving to Monforte to undertake making their own wines, from their own land. When we started researching this winery, I happened to mention the possibility to some colleagues in Portland. It was then I learned that Nicola and Lolly are akin to rock stars in Oregon, with many friends practically lining up to proclaim how great the wines are, and how lovely the people. After getting to know them myself, I could not agree more.

They farm about 10 hectares, with as much help as they can get from friends and family – 7 hectares proximate to the cantina, and another three closer to the border with Barolo village itself. Their production is almost 75,000 bottles. Methods are simple, which is always the best way to produce wine: work well in the vineyard, and let the wine take care of itself in the cellar. Farming is “agricultura integrata” – the practice of using minimal treatments and only when necessary. Fermentation is in stainless steel, shorter macerations for Dolcetto and Barbera, longer (15-20 days) for Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is raised only in botti grandi, Barbera gets mainly botti with some tonneaux of 500L. Barbera generally suffers in oak for 18 months; Nebbiolo more like 30. The red wines are never filtered.

Being as they are a young winery, experimentation is the norm. The couple grows a small parcel of shockingly good Pinot Noir which is produced in teeny tiny quantities. There is a delicious Langhe Bianco too – but the wines that really took us away were their Barbera d’Alba – bright, lifted, but with deep and dark fruit, and their pair of Barolo: San Pietro and Bussia, wines which fully live up to the reputation of Monforte and the famous vineyard Bussia. ~ Joe Kotnik