Ezio Curruti farms a vineyard in a tony corner of Piedmont. He farms biodynamically, and tall grasses and wildflowers poke out between the rows of Moscato. Beyond his property, you can see tightly wound rows of vines on adjacent Asti-area hillsides with painstakingly manicured rows nude of any vegetation other than vines. The financial stakes are very high in Piedmont, so truly organic farming is still rare in the heart of the region. Ezio has always sought a different path, and established his winery and natural philosophy a full generation before it became mainstream among winemakers. He was friends with Beppe Rinaldi and Baldo Cappellano, two other pioneers of the organic movement in Piedmont. He was the only one to take Moscato seriously. In stark contrast to the Moscato d’Asti produced in vast stainless tanks every vintage with only quantity in mind, Ezio’s winemaking is intentionally small scale, his wines are fermented slowly, and the result is something far more complex than generally allowed for the variety. 

The Wine: No yeast was added. Only a pinch of sulfur at bottling. The wine spent seven days on the skin, and 12 months in neutral oak, both for added character and textural quality. The nose offers honeycomb, pekoe, burnt orange peel, and white stone. The palate offers delicate tannin and citrus, with almond butter. White pepper lingers on the finish.