Roero Arneis 'Desaia' Cascina Fornace 2020
ArtisanalThe "Desaia" by Cascina Fornace is an Arneis that comes to life from the sandy soils of Roero. A white with a strong territorial quotient, which is in no hurry to hit the market: 'because Arneis can age!'. It wears an intense and luminous chromatic robe, thanks to a slight maceration on the skins and exudes salty and exotic aromas, always intriguing and changing. On the palate, it is clean, crisp and juicy, with an iodized breath and a character to sell.
The Roero “Desaia” is the entry-level Arneis of Cascina Fornace, the first encounter with Enrico and Emanuele, the first step inside the winery, the first dive into the Roero territory. The most representative white wine of this area, locally called Nebbiolo bianco, is fragrant, salty, juicy and yes, it can evolve over time. This basic assumption shapes the production approach of Cascina Fornace: to enhance the Arneis exactly for what it is, respecting the environment, inspired by organic farming, and staying true to spontaneous fermentations.
“Desaia” is the name of the vineyard, a piece of Roero land, characterized by sandy soils, steep hillside slopes, and great biodiversity. The Arneis grapes grow in a truly ideal habitat: no pesticides or chemicals of any kind are used between the rows, the soils are not worked, preferring instead that the grass grows freely alongside legumes, grasses, and crucifers. In the winery, the same care is taken, intervening only if necessary: the
naturally occurring yeasts on the grapes, the temperature is not controlled, and the levels of sulfur dioxide are kept very low. In this case, fermentation takes place in cement tanks in contact with the skins for 3 days; the aging lasts for 10 months and is carried out in cement (80%) and in medium-sized tonneaux (20%).The Roero Arneis “Desaia” from Cascina Fornace is not afraid to be uncorked even years after bottling. After all, ‘why does everyone accept letting Nebbiolo evolve while few have the same patience for Arneis?’. The color is dark yellow, with bright orange and golden hues, slightly hazy due to the unfiltered sediment present in the bottle. On the nose, it is broad and pungent: exotic notes peek in stealthily, among iodine waves and deeply territorial herbaceous flashes. On the palate, it is juicy and shifting, supported by a vibrant acidic backbone and dynamic salinity, long and expressive: unforgettable!