VINEYARD | A few rows planted on the same ridge where the grapes used for the Casa di Bianca grow, a real company cru for Moscato d'Asti. The soil is rich in limestone and clay and it was here, more than twenty years ago, that Gianni Doglia wanted to plant his first vineyard. The idea was to have an alternative grape to Moscato or Barbera but still ideal for bringing out the Asti terroir. The choice went to Merlot, an international grape variety that was enjoying an excellent reputation in those years. Six-hundred cuttings were planted in the shade of a large oak tree, exactly the number of bottles currently produced. Since then the plants have remained the same, the production has not grown and the production has remained a testimony of Gianni's achievement as a winemaker, with clear ideas and the ability to look to the future...
PERSON | Gianni Doglia is a great winemaker, specialist in Moscato and Barbera. Already awarded as Winemaker of the Year by the Vini d'Italia Guide, he has shown - especially in recent years - that he knows how to bottle great wines, that are technically precise, but above all true children of the territory from which they come, the Asti area. At the end of the '90s his father, passing the reins of the company to him, told him "now it's time for you to do it" and Gianni first of all wanted to plant a vineyard from scratch, the very grape that gives rise to this wine. It was 1998 and since then that vineyard has remained the same, a few rows that yield a rare wine, produced meticulously and with respect, exactly as he does for his beloved Moscato d'Asti or Barberas.
WINE | The nose immediately makes it clear that we are not talking about Merlot with notes of fruit jam, vanilla tones and a soft and abundant palate. Gianni Doglia's Merlot is quite something else. The hints are light and delicate, there is small fruit of the forest (especially blueberry and blackberry), a delicate spicy nuance followed by bark, mint and noble resin sensations. The palate is vibrant and juicy. The structure is present, it is certainly not a light wine, but acidic freshness and flavour make the sip smooth. The tannic texture is impeccable, it gives rhythm and marks a drinkability that goes deep, with textbook persistence.
