Four Friends at Cantina Cascina Saria

The sun has already warmed the air of this winter morning as we set off on our trip to Langa, the company is just right: four friends bound by a passion for good vino.
Waiting for us at the winery is Maura, the cellar manager, who welcomes us with her smile. We find ourselves at CASCINA SARIA, in the locality of Riofreddo, just outside the medieval village of Neive (CN).

We begin our visit to the production area and as we walk among the vats used for fermentation and aging of the wines, Maura tells us how in 1970 this winery was born and subsequently developed. She tells us about the commitment and care required each year to consistently produce high-quality wines, keeping an eye on market demands while never betraying the character of their own product.

We then move into the aging cellar, the historic one of the cascina, still intact in its structure and functionality. Just outside the barrique cellar we take a walk through the vineyards from which its wines are produced. The hectares cultivated with vines are approximately 25, yielding around 45,000 bottles. The characteristics of these vineyards are typical of wineries that aim for high qualitative levels: vines ranging from 10 to 40 years of age, Guyot training with a planting density of approximately 4,500 vines per hectare, low yields with targeted thinning, and by exploiting the synergy between climate and terroir, treatments reduced to the bare minimum.

Entering the tasting room, the view that can be admired through the large panoramic windows overlooking the vine-covered hills – offering a splendidly snow-capped alpine arc – leaves you speechless.
In the center of the room everything has already been set up. The selection of bottles was made personally by Maura, who is keen to have us taste the various types of wine produced at the winery, because each one is worthy of filling a glass.

Our tasting begins with the only "foreigner" of the group, a wine from a vineyard owned by the winery located in the Monferrato astigiano: BARBERA D'ASTI "CONVENTO" vintage 2011. It is certainly a good start, with its intense ruby color, fruity aromas, and the characteristic acidity typical of the grape variety that is well present on the palate but never overwhelming. We continue with the Dolcetto 2012, which makes drinkability its strong point – presenting a beautiful ruby color to the eye, clear and soft on the palate. We accompany our tastings with a fine tagliere di salumi e formaggi locali that pair beautifully with these wines.

At this point we move on to two wines whose protagonist is the true prince of these hills, il Nebbiolo, a difficult and demanding grape variety that, if one knows how to "tame" it, yields great results.

We taste it first in its most classic version, a LANGHE NEBBIOLO vintage 2010, and then, closing the round of tastings, the most prestigious product of the winery: the BARBARESCO "COLLE GELSO" vintage 2008. A wine exported and appreciated in much of the world.

We cannot leave this winery without taking with us some good "souvenirs" to uncork and share with our friends.
Bidding farewell to these hills, we all have the feeling of having lived a wonderful experience in the company of people who make their work a true passion.