Ca' del Baio Moscato d'Asti DOCG 2006

Rating: 92/100 - As reviewed by The Wine Messenger Low in alcohol, effervescent, crisp and slightly sweet, this Moscato d'Asti makes a great aperitif.
Moscato d'Asti is one of Italy’s unique treasures. The perfect combination of fresh fruit and floral flavors, a dash of sweetness, and a touch of bubbles can be divine. Moscato is made frizzante by fermenting the wine in a closed vessel. The process is halted, however, before all of the sugar is converted to gas and alcohol resulting in a slightly sweet, slightly bubbly, low alcohol wine with amazing freshness. Ca’ del Baio is one of the regions best small producers, famous for read more...their Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto. Unlike the more industrial Moscato producers, their Moscato is hand-crafted and bottled without filtration.
A straw yellow colored wine with a delicate nose of soft fresh fruit (grapes and apricots) and flowers (citrus blossoms). On the palate this wine has very fine bubbles and is about a third as effervescent as Champagne. Fresh grape flavors are complemented by hints of apricot, peach, and nectarine flavor. A slightly sweet wine with good balance and a light finish – it is only 5.5% alcohol! Its freshness and gentleness make Moscato a great aperitif or a fine match for brunch or dessert, especially with fresh fruits, pastries, cakes, or panettone. Drink now to 2009.
Aperitif, Cakes, Fruit Salad, Panettone, Pastries
Ca' Del Baio in Barbaresco has been run by the Grasso family since 1880. Their winery is located near Alba and they are fortunate to own land in some of the best vineyards of Barbaresco: Asili in the commune of Barbaresco, Valgrande in the commune of Trieso, and Marcarini also in the commune of Trieso. It is hard to find consistently good Barbaresco at reasonable prices, but their wines have impressed us a lot. They have very low yields and produce wines that are very elegant with aromatic intensity. The winery is a blend of technology and tradition, boasting modern termperature-controlled tanks for winemaking, and traditional oak casks and barrels for ageing. Every member of the latest generation of the Grasso family is enthusiastically involved in some facet of the winery’s operation. The current patriarch, Giulio Grasso, has built a reputation for great Barbarescos, but his Barberas and Dolcettos are also consistently excellent. This is definitely a winery to watch since each succeeding vintage earns more praise in the Italian press.

Overview Greek settlers first planted vineyards in Italy sometime around 800BC. Since then, wine has been entrenched in the Italian culture, ‘as common as water on the dinner table’. Most of the topography in Italy, about four fifths, is perfect for growing grapes, because of the hilly and mountainous features. These features helped Italy produce 20% of the worlds wine in the nineties (580 million hectoliters).

Italy greatly varies in topography, climate and culture from North to South and the styles of wine reflect these differences:

In the North, the Appennines Mountains and the lakes of Como, Garda and Maggiore work together to moderate the cool winters and hot summers and prolong the grapes’ growing season.

The Northeast is best known for the Nebbiolo grape, considered to produce the finest of Italian wines. The concentration of fruit, high tannin and acidity combine to produce a long-ageing wine with incredible depth and character.

The cool Northwest is better known for its white wines. Pinot Grigio is by far the most famous white wine in Italy, known for its crisp acidity and subtle fruit character.

Central Italy is renowned area for Chianti, a medium bodied, fruity and acidic red wine from the Sangiovese grape. The Southern area is much hotter and Mediterranean in character. Here, the wines are less tannic and lighter bodied in style, to better accompany the lighter cuisines of the area.

Recently Italy has experienced a rebirth in quality wines. Years ago the wine flowed like water and was equally flimsy and thin, but that is no longer the case. Throughout the twenty regions of Italy, more and more quality whites and reds can be found from places like Piedmont, Tuscany and Friuli. The category given out prestigious of wines in Italy is known as the DOC and DOCG. DOC stands for denominazione di origine controllata and DOCG stands for denominazione di orginie controllata e grarantita. These are guarantees of authenticity and quality that can be found on the label of the highest quality Italian wines from selected vineyards or regions.

nice bubbles . white flower,orange peel,lime. smooth grapes,good fruit,delicate,elegant,good effervescence,ripe finish,not sticky

December 2008

Low in alcohol, effervescent, crisp and slightly sweet, this Moscato d'Asti makes a great aperitif.

April 2009

Low in alcohol, effervescent, crisp and slightly sweet, this Moscato d'Asti makes a great aperitif. Moscato d'Asti is one of Italy's unique treasures. The perfect combination of fresh fruit and floral flavors, a dash of sweetness, and a touch of bubbles can be divine. Moscato is made frizzante by fermenting the wine in a closed vessel. The process is halted, however, before all of the sugar is converted to gas and alcohol resulting in a slightly sweet, slightly bubbly, low alcohol wine with amazing freshness. Ca' del Baio is one of the regions best small producers, famous read more...for their Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto. Unlike the more industrial Moscato producers, their Moscato is hand-crafted and bottled without filtration. A straw yellow colored wine with a delicate nose of soft fresh fruit (grapes and apricots) and flowers (citrus blossoms). On the palate this wine has very fine bubbles and is about a third as effervescent as Champagne. Fresh grape flavors are complemented by hints of apricot, peach, and nectarine flavor. A slightly sweet wine with good balance and a light finish - it is only 5.5% alcohol! Its freshness and gentleness make Moscato a great aperitif or a fine match for brunch or dessert, especially with fresh fruits, pastries, cakes, or panettone. Drink now to 2009.Pair With: Aperitif, Cakes, Fruit Salad, Panettone, Pastries    (hide)

April 2009