Tradition, terroir, know how at Costa di Bussia
A historic and enological heritage to perpetuate through our wines
Costa di Bussia wines find their birth from the vineyards of the estate and are vinified, bottled and aged here. Beppe and Carla Colombo who take care of the vines, the agronomist Carlo Arnulfo, winemakers Marco Marsili and Sergio Elia, along with all the winery staff, work with dedication and enthusiasm to keep alive the tradition and history that we inheritated from our past.
Wine-making process
The manual harvest
When the grapes are ripe, the harvest begins, which is strictly handmade. The period of harvest varies depending on the vine and the climatic conditions; usually it begins in September with the Chardonnay, to preserve the acid part and consequently the potential of freshness and continue in the autumn with red grapes, with Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo.
The pressing
After the harvest the grapes are pressed to extract the juice from the pulp of the berries. For the white grapes the must, after a short maceration, is pressed immediately and the must is left to settle for 12 hours at a low temperature. The clear must then begins the phase of alcoholic fermentation, which for the Chardonnay is at maximum temperature of 15 ° C. During this phase, grape sugar is transformed into alcohol and, thanks to the low fermentation temperatures, will produce aromas characterized by floral and exotic notes. Fermentation followed by aging on the lees for about six months, so as to improve the structure and quality. At the end of refining the Langhe Chardonnay d.o.c, it undergoes a gentle filtration, so as to be ready for the final step: the bottling.
The red varieties
The production of red wines follows a different methodology: separates the stams from the grapes and the must, characterized by the presence of the skins, begins the phase of alcoholic fermentation accompanied by delicate phase of maceration. Maceration, and then the extraction of color, tannins and aromas contained in the skins, varies according to the grapes and the wine: for young wines such as Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbera d’Alba it lasts about a week, while for longer aging wines like Barbera del Campo del Gatto or the various selections of Barolo, it could last up to three weeks.
Fermentation and maceration take place always at a controlled temperature (between 27 ° C and 30 ° C) in stainless steel tanks and are interspersed with repeated pumping in which the cap (skins) is alternately sprayed with the must in transformation so you can have optimal extraction.
The refining
After this phase, the aging period begins. Dolcetto d’Alba is aged in stainless steel for 6-8 months during which, thanks to repeated decanting, the wine becomes more soft on the palate and develops all the aromatic scents.
The red wines subject to aging (such as Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba Campo del Gatto, Nebbiolo and Barolo) after long maceration, continue their refining in barrels of different wood and size. Barbera d’Alba Campo del Gatto ages in 500-litre French oak barrels for at least 12 months, while the Barolo rests in 5000-litre casks of Slavonian oak for a period ranging from 18 months to 36 months for Riserva, depending on the vintage. This period of refining in oak barrels gives all the power and elegance to the great wines.
Carried out all the operations mentioned above, wines are bottled in an inert atmosphere, continuing with the refining in bottle for a variable period depending on the wine, at a controlled and stable temperature and humidity (14 ° C and 75% humidity), the best way to preserve the wine for a long time.
