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Renata Bonacina & her husband Giovanni, from Milan & Treviso respectively, cut their teeth buying a tiny Moscato d'Asti estate (Ca ed Belos) in 1998, & consolidated that in 2017 with the purchase of the fine 18th century Dacapo estate in the Agliano Terme comune, bordering the Langhe, & home to 3.5ha of Barbera d'Asti e NIZZA, Grignolino d'Asti & Incrocio Manzone. The Dacapo estate also came with 2.5ha of Ruche', Pinot Nero, & Nebbiolo in the Monferrato comune of Castagnole. So the three estates totaling 7ha, each with their differing terroir & all organic, were brought together under the one roof, where Giovanni, an ex-CFO, could vinify them!
Vintage 2022 with its hot dry summer was undoubtedly a year made for Barbera, as Renata & Giovanni Nizza clearly shows. Dacapo were one of the ten founding 'fathers' of the NIZZA DOCG consorzio in 2014, that has now grown to 90 producers & c. 300ha. They own 1.5ha of Barbera da Nizza that lies in the heart of the Valrotonda hill of Agliano Terme, facing ES, on ancient Messianiano soils rich in sand & calcite/gypsum that balances out the rich fruit expression & abv%. Fermented in 50HL wooden tine & aged in botte grande; the 2014 NIZZA, their first is still fresh & young despite the wet vintage!
