Barbera is quite possibly one of the best grapes in the world, pound for pound. It is generally reasonably priced and offers the consumer a wine with great acidity, fresh fruit, and pairs exceptionally well with many foods. Monferrato is the birthplace of Barbera and produces the best representations of wines made with this grape, not only because of the history, but also because Barbera doesn't have to compete with Barolo & Barbaresco here so it's able to be grown in the "prime real estate" so to speak. 

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Made with 100% hand-selected and hand-harvested Barbera grapes grown in clay/marl soils with a southern and north-western exposure at roughly 1000 feet above sea level. After harvest and pre-fermentation, the juice goes through a temperature-controlled fermentation on the skins for roughly 20 days. It is then aged for 12 months in stainless steel and 12 months in the bottle.

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Flavors & aromas of dark red cherries are supported by beautiful high acidity, low tannins, and incredible complexity, making this an enjoyable wine for all types of palates.

 

 

Don't let the rarity of this grape confuse you - it is one of the tastiest grapes in all of Italy. For centuries, starting around 1200 or before, Grignolino was a wine consumed only by the noblest of people in Italy. It was revered for its bright acidity and beautiful aromatic characteristics. Eventually, Nebbiolo became famous for its production of Barolo & Barbaresco, and Grignolino, like many other incredible grapes in Piedmont, was forgotten about and ancient Grignolino vines were replaced with Nebbiolo. Grignolino is also a very difficult grape for winemakers to work with, so most simply choose to focus on other grapes. Now, less than 2% of Piedmont's vineyards are devoted to Grignolino.

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Hic et Nunc believes in Monferrato's ancient and wonderful native grape varietals which is why they have chosen to continue producing exceptional wines made with Grignolino. This wine is made with 100% native Grignolino grapes that are harvested by hand. After harvest and pre-fermentation, the grapes undergo a 12-day temperature-controlled fermentation on the skins in stainless steel tanks. It is important to minimize the time spent on the skins because the wine can quickly become bitter. It's also important to avoid oak in order to maintain the grape's pleasant aromatics. 

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In the glass, the wine presents itself with a light ruby color, similar to Pinot Noir or Gamay. The nose immediately jumps out with fresh flowers, bright red fruit, and herbs. The palate leads with bright red fruit, tart acidity, and firm tannins. This is an exceptional food wine.

 

Dolcetto is another ancient red grape varietal native to Piedmont. It is an early-ripening varietal whose name translates to "Little Sweet One", not because the wine is sweet (it's bone-dry), but because the grape itself is sweet & is often consumed as a table grape. Similar to Barbera and Grignolino, Dolcetto vines have been replaced with Nebbiolo which is why it does so well in Monferrato, because it doesn't have to compete with Barolo and Barbaresco.

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The Dolcetto of Hic et Nunc is grown at roughly 1000ft above sea level. It is harvested earlier than the other varietals and undergoes a 12-day temperature-controlled fermentation on the skins in stainless steel tanks. It is then aged for 8 months in stainless steel and another year in the bottle.

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The flavors & aromas of Dolcetto differ from Barbera & Grignolino in that this wine is dominated by dark fruit, as opposed to the red cherry we see in the others. It has a deep ruby color in the glass and on the palate has high tannins with low acidity. 

 

Cortese is truly one of the greatest white wines in the world when made properly. It has everything you're looking for in a white wine; crisp acidity, bright minerality, subtle fruit, and age-worthiness. Cortese is most famous for its production of Gavi, which can often be an exceptional wine. However, many Gavi wines are too lean and lack anything other than acid which is one of the reasons that Hic et Nunc makes their Cortese in a much different style. 

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Hic et Nunc believes wines made of Cortese need a little texture, so they age the wine on its lees. In addition to the extended lees contact, they also use 10% French barriques in its aging process. Vinification & soft pressing of whole bunches with cooling of the grapes followed by a temperature-controlled fermentation for 7 days. 

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As mentioned above, the texture/mouthfeel of this wine is what sets it apart from its peers. It has a nice viscosity on the tongue that's lifted by it's high acidity. It's no wonder why writers such as Jancis Robinson are starting to recognize this as one of Italy's great white wines.