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Hic et Nunc, from the Latin «Here and Now». Because «here», in Vignale Monferrato, is where we have decided to start growing vines, not anywhere else. And we have decided to do it «now», immediately putting this extraordinary land at work.
Only local varieties and only monovarietal wines. Hic et Nunc has decided to showcase the terroir of the Basso Monferrato area, returning to the essence of its classic wines: the Barbera d’Asti and the Barbera del Monferrato, the Grignolino and the Cortese.
“Our” Monferrato is a conscious choice of simplicity, local vines and winemaking processes that fully respect the characteristics of the varieties, in the pursuit of authentic purity of aromas and sensorial notes: we have chosen a “bare” style, a proper cleansing that does not force the natural expressiveness of wine.
In the cellar, we practice a traditional style, which is completed with a well-studied use of technology. Grapes harvested when fully mature, long periods of maceration, fermentation and aging in stainless steel barrels, use of wood limited to the bare minimum, only in tonneaux of first and second transfers.
We look for finesse, the abilityto amaze for its drinkability, the richness of the fruit and the complexity of the aromas.
100 hectares of arable lands, woods and poplar groves, of which 20 are dedicated to local vines. Barbera vines of more than 80 years of age. Only our own grapes.
Hic et Nunc can count on a unique biodiversity that can be found in the world of Piedmont wine, dominated by monoculture. A type of diversity that we have decided to preserve by adopting winemaking processes particularly attentive to the landscape. Our attention to the landscape translates to an active defence of the soil and the ecosystem found in the vineyard. Grassing of the rows; agricultural practices against the compacting and washing away of soil; treatment use is limited to the bare minimum, “Well-thought out” and measured agronomic management based on the necessities of each vineyard, depending on the age, the strength of the plants, position and soil characteristics.
We manually work all of our vineyards and we process grapes that exclusively come from our lands. We apply good practices for the “thermal” control of the vineyard, a fundamental element given the state of climatic change we are currently going through. A double round in the vineyard to thin out foliage based on exposure ensures that bunches are always adequately subjected to sunlight: making sure that they don’t incur in sunburn, damages to the grapes or, worst, a halt in maturation. An agronomic management that is “well-thought out” and measured based on the results of careful assessments of each vineyard, taking attentive account of age, strength of the plants, position and soil characteristics.
Hic et Nunc stands halfway between Asti, Alessandria and Casale, in the heart of the Basso Monferrato, home to the barbera and the grignolino, iconic varieties of these hills.
We are in the heart of the historical and original ancient Aleramic properties, the dynasty of Aleram, who – according to the legend – has traced the borders of Monferrato, becoming its first Marquis. Here, the names of the places reveal their belonging to the ancient Marquisate, including their proud affinity with Monferrato to their namesake.
The cellar and the wine resort rest on the hill connecting Vignale to Frassinello, a natural stage of hills and vineyards crossed by woods, poplar and hazel groves, fields and pastures: a landscape with a rich biodiversity and a wild, primitive charm that UNESCO has acknowledged as a World Heritage Site in 2014, within the core-zone of Monferrato degli Infernot.
Crossed by the 45° parallel, the “magical” latitude where the best wine terroirs in the world can be found (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Oltrepò Pavese), Vignale is at the heart of the temperate zone, equally distant from the sea and the Alpine range, that protects it from bad weather from the north-east. Low rainfall urges the vines to seek nourishment deeper underground and the good alternation of temperature between day and night, especially during harvest period, yields wines with intense and elegant aromas.
Ancient sea beds, the soil has a clay-limestone origin with a unique characteristic. In the subsoil there can be found compact blocks of sandstone mixed with limestone, with a classic ochre-yellow colour: these are «pietre da cantone», dug by the locals since the ancient times and used in construction. Poor soils, but endowed with microelements that yield wines of great structure, finesse and, thanks to the presence of limestone, a marked sapidity.
