Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco

About this wine

This is a sweet, aromatic red wine from the Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco DOC in the Asti hills of Piedmont, an area that looks toward the province of Turin. The blend is built on the local black Malvasia grapes, Malvasia di Schierano and Malvasia Nera Lunga, with Freisa bringing a touch of extra structure and tang. In the glass it is typically bright cherry red, and the nose leans strongly floral, often recalling wild rose, with clear notes of raspberry, cherry, and other red berries. The palate is gently fizzy in many bottlings, with a soft, rounded sweetness balanced by fresh acidity, and a light tannic grip that keeps it from feeling syrupy. This DOC is known for being bottled young and for keeping its fragrance front and center, with sweetness and sparkle commonly achieved through fermentation in a closed, pressurized setting to retain aromatic lift.

About the grape

The Malvasia name traces back to the Greek port of Monembasia, whose sweet wines were traded widely, and in Piedmont it evolved into rare black skinned forms that underpin Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco, mainly Malvasia di Schierano and sometimes Malvasia Nera Lunga. Malvasia di Schierano is a local aromatic red variety long tied to the Asti and Turin hills, and for this DOC it is grown on sunny hillside sites in the Castelnuovo Don Bosco area, typically above 150 meters, on mixed clay, limestone, and sandy soils. Malvasia Nera Lunga is generally more vigorous and productive and it ripens a bit earlier than Schierano, so many growers use it alongside or in place of Schierano while still keeping Malvasia as the dominant 85 to 100 percent of the blend. Freisa is another historic Piedmont grape, documented for centuries and genetically related to Nebbiolo, and in this bottling it is used as the traditional supporting grape, allowed up to 15 percent, to reinforce the local style and balance the Malvasia base.

Quick facts

• 📜 Its DOC was created on May 29, 1973, to protect this tiny Asti-hills specialty made around Castelnuovo Don Bosco.
• 🖤 Despite “Malvasia” usually meaning white grapes, this wine is built on rare red Malvasia types, especially Malvasia di Schierano and the long-bunch Malvasia Nera Lunga.
• 🏛️ The name Malvasia traces back to Monembasia in Greece, a medieval wine-trading hub that helped make “Malvasia” famous across Europe.
• 🍇 By DOC rules the blend is mainly Malvasia di Schierano, with Freisa allowed as a supporting grape up to 15%, a very Piedmontese aromatic twist.
• ⛪ The zone is tied to the hometown of Saint John Bosco, so this wine’s birthplace is also a major pilgrimage destination for the Salesians.

Palate profile

Producer

Podere San Giulio is a small family run farm and agriturismo near Pienza, in Tuscanys Val dOrcia. The farmhouse began as the grandparents home and was later restored by the current owner, Alice Crociani, who opened it to guests while keeping farming at the center of the property. Alongside hospitality, the estate tends vineyards and olive trees and produces its own wine and olive oil, as well as seasonal foods such as vegetables, wheat and jams. Its position along the route between Pienza and Montepulciano places it in one of Italys best known rural landscapes, famed for sweeping views and traditional mixed agriculture.