Cascina delle Rose

Sitting with Riccardo Sobrino of Cascina delle Rose is a treat – his Italian-tinted English rattles off his tongue with the same ease as his wines cross the palate. Midway through his description of the vineyard, a tangent of immediate importance crosses his mind: the logo. “A friend of our parents was a designer from Milan. When he came to the estate, he noticed not only the harmony in the vineyard, but the play between our golden retriever, Patata, and our cat, Mimi. When he returned home to Milan, he created a sketch that he felt best captured the estate; it turned out to be the cat and the dog playing together, perfectly representing the harmony of the estate.” As Riccardo smiled recounting the story, he continued to explain: “My brother Davide and I, we were never forced to be in the family business. We just grew to truly love it.”

To explain things in this fashion, outside of the normal nuts-and-bolts that can so often accompany these sorts of meetings, is truly refreshing and highlights the nature of the family behind Cascina delle Rose. Founded in 1948 by Riccardo and Davide’s great-grandmother, Beatrice, in Alba, the vineyards were an afterthought as she also owned two textile mills. It largely served as a family summer retreat, situated with a stunning backdrop of the Alps. Two generations later, Giovanna – Riccardo & Davide’s mother – moved permanently to the house and brought life to the vineyard. Still, the first wine was not made until 1992, the same year Riccardo was brought into the world.

“Mom was very brave,” Riccardo claims, “Doing what was considered a man’s work.” Furthermore, “She was considered to be a witch for not [using chemicals],” something which was unheard of in the 1990s, but that also laid a clear path to what beauty lies inside of each bottle today. Says Riccardo, “We are very humble people, but know we are in a very good spot.”

With seven and a half hectares under their command – five and a half of which are under vine – the brothers took over the daily operations in 2017, following the decline in health of their father. Davide – described by his brother as a “Zen Guru” – always had a clear vision for the vineyard and took the reins overseeing all winemaking. Riccardo oversees the business and takes on the role of first mate during harvest season.

Much as the dog and the cat – Riccardo the amiable golden retriever, Davide the quiet, reticent genius behind the curtain – the brothers have achieved a mesmerizing harmony, embodied in each bottle. Mom and Dad, says Riccardo, “Are probably our best consumers, and they don’t try to influence us at all.” As anyone with Italian parents can attest, this is the highest compliment, and when you taste the wines, you’ll understand just why.

VITICULTURE & VINIFICATION

The name “Cascina delle Rose” pre-dated the acquisition of the property by the family; the neighborhood near to the estate was dubbed “Tre Stelle”, which mirrors the nearby vineyard’s name that became the foundation of the estate.

Neither the work in the vineyards nor the winery follows any sort of dogma; truly the vineyards are allowed to speak for themselves, and the adjustments are made per vintage, as the conditions improve or worsen. Luckily, most of the vineyards date back over fifty years, with minimal replantings done in the early aughts. Davide has chosen to allow the canopy to expand in the warmer vintages, and the same for the cover cop. Sitting at 250-320m altitude, there is ample breeze, sunshine and diversity of soils through the vineyards.

In the winery, the Barbarescos are de-stemmed, and allowed to ferment with ambient yeasts in stainless steel before being transferred to Slavonian oak for aging. A submerged cap may be applied during the maceration period, depending on the character of the vintage. As for the Langhe Nebbiolo, the wine will remain in stainless until the time of bottling, with the emphasis on freshness. The Barbarescos may be racked multiple times to achieve more purity.

Proceeding in the order in which Riccardo prefers to serve his Barbarescos, Tre Stelle is one of two amphitheaters that lie next to each other. Tre Stelle is smaller, closer, on the hilltop facing South-West, planted almost directly into limestone. “The most elegant,” he states, “Velvety, sexy, very vertical on the palate.” The neighboring amphitheater is called Rio Sordo, which until 2005 included Tre Stelle in its final blend (2006 being the first vintage of Tre Stelle). Rio Sordo as a vineyard is a little wider, with a meter of topsoil before the limestone hits. Planted in 1958, this plot is “More complex,” says Riccardo, “With more shoulders and darker fruits and earthiness. It’s both austere and elegant.” He explained that, along with Giacosa’s Asili, Rio Sordo is “The most ‘Barbaresco’”.

The latest acquisition to the fold is one hectare within Marcorino in Neive. The Nebbiolo here was planted in 1944, and Marcorino is also the source for the Mun Cru’s Arneis, which was planted in 1977. The vineyard is much sandier, with less clay than the other two sites, but an older geological formation. “This is in a different league,” Riccardo states, “As Neive always has an easier structure – it has longevity, but very approachable.” He explained that Marcorino is harder to work, as it’s steeper and receives more sunlight with its Southeast exposition that makes this the earliest-ripening vineyard. “I think about the price as I work the vineyard,” he quips, “Too cheap!!” The Marcorino cuvée was first released to the market in 2024.

In terms of vintages, Riccardo claimed 2019, 2020 and 2021 were “unbelievable” in terms of quality, followed by a very dry 2022. 2023, which makes up most of our first offering from Cascina delle Rose, was extreme in terms of the need for careful selection, due to a July hailstorm. The estate’s damage was only found in Tre Stelle & Marcorino, with about 30-35% lost (with additional at the final selection). Some neighbors lost 100%, so even with the strife, Riccardo and Davide considered themselves quite lucky. Riccardo recounted seeing the clouds darken as he rode the tractor, and days later clipping off the wounded berries with tiny scissors, grape by grape. “The wines are quite pretty – they remind me of 2020, that they are juicy but more ‘bones’.” 2025, the following vintage we will bring in, brought a smile from Riccardo – he dubbed it “Very special!”