'Centin' Case Corini 2017

'Centin' is the label that Case Corini dedicates to the figure of Vincenzo Corino, as he was nicknamed, great-grandson of that Biagio to whom the earliest documents relating to the family in the municipality of Costigliole d'Asti refer. From the beginning of the 20th century, he played a leading role in the extension of the house and the particularly shrewd development of the farming business, demonstrating great skill and dedication in caring for the animals and the vineyard: he was recognised as a particularly refined winemaker, he was perhaps ahead of his time and did not find the right recognition on the market in the mid-1950s.

"Centin" comes to life in the vineyard that Case Corini has been tending since the early 1950s when it was planted with different biotypes of the noble blackberry emblematic of the Langa. The parcel extends over the gentle slopes of the municipality of Costigliole d'Asti, a transition area towards Monferrato, at an altitude of around 250 metres above sea level, and the prevalent form of cultivation is espalier: the arrangement along the wooden structures allows the foliage to develop until the end of the season, avoiding topping operations. The soil is a mixture of marl and Asti sand, and the soil is worked with light mechanisation, avoiding excessive compaction, while all the operations between the rows are carried out by hand: the harvest is carried out when the fruit is fully ripe, with collection in small baskets. After destemming the grapes and direct pressing, the must ferments spontaneously with prolonged maceration on the skins for as long as the indigenous yeasts are active, up to about 9 weeks, in wooden barrels. The wine is finally bottled without filtration, clarification, or the addition of sulphites.

"Case Corini's 'Centin' offers itself to the eye with an intense garnet colour, flashed with orange reflections. Complex and deep, the nose offers undergrowth scents in which fruity hints of blackberry and ripe cherry hover, veering towards a spicy finish. The palate is rich and structured, composed of elegant tannic texture and subtle freshness, with a lingering finish with mineral overtones.