Gilberto Boniperti established his Alto Piemonte estate in 2003, replenishing his prized vineyard, Barton, named for his grandfather. Four vineyards making up only 3.5 hectares are planted primarily with Vespolina and Nebbiolo, with a small component of Barbera.
The vineyards are densely planted for low yields, and the grapes are hand harvested and sorted for optimal quality. The fruit is further sorted by vine and vineyard into small lots. The grapes go through an extensive cold soak to ease the extraction and maintain a refinement and complexity for the wines. Gilberto’s Vespolina Favolalunga and Nebbiolo Carlin see no wood at all, while the Barton (a blend of Nebbiolo and Vespolina) is aged mainly in large oak for around 20 months.
Gilberto likes to keep his operations simple and traditional, like his outlook on life. He refers to three basics to describe what goes into his wines: sun, land, and tradition. His wines have a purity and refreshing quality that is a true reflection of his reverence for the environment and the land he tends.
Gilberto often refers to his grandfather’s advice: “When you don’t know what to do, just go to the vineyard—there’s always work to do there!”
