Cà de Noci was established in 1993 by brothers Giovanni and Alberto Masini on their family’s estate near Reggio Emilia. For more than thirty years, the family has had a walnut forest on the property (hence the name “Walnut Farm”). In the 700’s, the province of Emilia-Romagna was known to have over 100 different grape varieties. The Masinis wanted to plant local, traditional grapes that were slowly disappearing, among them Spergola, Malbo Gentile and Montericco.
The vines are planted in five hectares of rocky limestone soil along the Crostolo river. The dryness, and general poorness of the soils help give these grapes all their powerful flavor and minerality. All the vines were planted in the 90’s and are therefore fairly young. They are cultivated using certified organic methods and only minimal treatments of natural copper/sulfate and biodynamic decoctions from plant or animal sources are used.
The grapes are hand-harvested in small caskets at maximum ripeness, with healthy skins, then destemmed and left in vats in the cool outside air overnight for extraction. The caps are punched down in the morning and the maceration on the skins continues for a long period, for some wines more than a week. The grapes are then pressed on a manual press and racked into wood barrels or neutral vats. The wines are aged without filtration or fining and S02 is never added.
The Spergola grape, due to its high acidity levels, has always had a reputation as fine material for sparkling wine. For many years it was considered a type of Sauvignon, but has now been genetically proven to be a grape variety of its own. The Masinis make two distinct wines that are 100% Spergola: First, there is a metodo tradizionale sparkling wine called “Riserva dei Fratelli”, which is refermented in bottle using only the lees of the wine and has no dosage. The second wine, “Querciole”, is a natural refermentation in bottle to give a frizzante style. It is unfiltered so may it throw sediment.
Another still white wine, “Nottediluna”, is made in small quantities using Malvasia di Candia, Moscato Giallo and Spergola with extended skin contact and aged in large botti.
The “Sottobosco” is a wine from three red grapes: Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco Maestri and Malbo Gentile, distinctive grapes of the Emilia-Romagna region. The grapes are macerated for 10 days on their skins. It is also a natural refermentation in bottle to produce a dry, frizzante wine, and is unfiltered. Like the “Querciole”, the “Sottobosco” is unfiltered and may have some sediment.
Newer additions to the lineup are “Tre Dame”, a dry, frizzante rosato from the indigenous Termanira and Sgavetta grapes and “Le Rose”, an aromatic sparkler made exclusively from Malvasia di Candia.
The wines should be served at cellar temperature (56 degrees F) and poured somewhat gently.
- Emilia Rosso Frizzante Sottobosco
- Emilia Rosato Frizzante Tre Dame