Piemonte, Italy
Barbera d'Asti DOCG
Carussin is a family story. The parents, Bruna and Luigi, run the domain while their children, Matteo and Luca, take care of the cellar and the vines respectively. The family thus takes care of their 12 hectares of vines spread over four villages around San Marzano Oliveto in Piedmont. Mainly focused on Barbera d'Asti and Moscato d'Asti, the vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic. The rows are grassed and no chemical intervention is applied. They like to describe their wines as having a low anthropogenic impact.
In addition to their love of vines and nature, each member of the family follows a parallel project. Bruna has a great passion for looking after her 10 donkeys. She organizes teaching activities at the educational farm for primary school children in the region while her husband devotes himself to volunteering at San Marzano Oliveto. Luca is a brewer and his craft beers are sold throughout the region. As for Matteo, he has just started a project based on the cultivation of germs and hemp. The intention of everyone remains the same: to live on the land that saw them being born while respecting nature.
Freshness and simplicity rule here: 'Asinoi' sees the younger, lower slope fruit from the Ferras' three Barbera plots go into a single, value-driven bottle. Intense fragrances of cherry, raspberry, and cranberry compote reel off the glass, while on the palate brambly fruit is balanced by subtler notes of forest floor that help ground a very lively (ie, higher acid-driven) drinking experience. A spirited example of the playfulness that comes when a well-loved grape meets a production style that is at once innovative and steeped in tradition. Best enjoyed with a meal or friends – or even better, both! – Asinoi is a no-brainer for easy drinking, because not everything has to be complicated in life, or in wine.