Fabio Gea Rosso Cul Otte Langhe 2021 750ml

Fabio Gea is making delicious wines from small parcels in Barbaresco. The land comes from his maternal grandfather Pòtu, (diminutive for Giuseppe in dialect) and is centered around different parts of Barbaresco mostly near the Bricco. During his grandfather's time, the vines were still in polyculture, although he was apparently an expert who at one time had over 200 grape varieties on his land. But the winemaking and vineyard care skipped a generation and most of the plots became semi-abandoned. Fabio, after receiving his doctorate and working as a successful geologist for corporate companies for a number of years, decided to leave that world and reprise the family winemaking tradition. He also started bringing the vineyards back into shape.

This wine could technically make a Barbaresco.

The name of this wine is essentially "underpants"; in such the estate's sickle and rake logo (which Fabio has said is intentionally made to resemble a human backside) have a crude drawing of a pair on them. This, we believe, is yet another middle finger to local bureaucracy: Fabio will do whatever he pleases with Nebbiolo despite being in Barbaresco. If they don't like it they can...

The wine is bottled in old Travaglini Gattinara bottles Fabio found in an old warehouse.

The number of the bottle and the total number of bottles are hand written on labels made from handmade paper.

The grapes are destemmed and macerated for two to three weeks. Fermented and aged in homemade porcelain and stoneware vessels.

-Louis/Dressner Selections