Gabriele Morra Barbera d'Alba 2021

Pocapaglia, Piedmont

The full name of this winery is quite curious, Morra Gabriele, formerly Pautasso Vini since 1880. But there are neither Morra nor Pautasso riding the winery. The latter were the owners of the winery in Macellai di Pocapaglia, while Gabriele Morra is the grandfather of one of the current owners, agronomist Gabriele Testa, born in '81, who had inherited some of today's vineyards from the Pautassos.

The other owner, Stefano Campaniello, born in '83, arrived in 2013 and is there to take care of the work in the cellar.

Stefano was then working in the dining room and one day found Gabriele as a customer. Between one tasting and another that evening, the union between the two began, and shortly afterwards they would start working the estate's vineyards in the Roero and others rented between Barbaresco and Neive.

The source of inspiration, among other things, was a book, The Ignorant, written by Etienne Davodeau and the result of a collaboration between a cartoonist and a biodynamic winegrower.

The first vinification dates back to 2012 with grapes from Montestefano, while in 2013 the duo can already count on a few rented rows in the Cru of Ovello, a tiny parcel in fact. To these are added another two hectares in Fausoni di Neive.

The company continues to grow over the years and will soon add another hectare and a half from a sub-zone of Bernino and a further hectare from the Starderi vineyard in Neive.

There are now more than three hectares cultivated in Barbaresco, using biodynamic methods in the vineyard and natural methods in the cellar. Theirs are wines that tell the story of the Neive territory in an exciting and pure way.