The traditional winery is located in the municipality of Neive (province of Cuneo) in the Italian region of Piedmont. Here, in 1862, Louis Oudart produced the first dry Barbaresco in the still existing historic cellar, which then caused an international sensation. The winery was acquired by the Stupino family in 964 and is now run by Italo Stupino. Claudio Rogger is the technical and oenological director. In 2012, a newly built cellar with the latest technical standards was put into operation and in 2015 the historic cellar was renovated for specially vinified wines.
The vineyards cover 27 hectares of vines. They are planted with the red wine varieties Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Albarossa and Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), as well as the white wine varieties Arneis, Moscato (Muscat Blanc) and Riesling Renano (Riesling). The Nebbiolo and Arneis varieties are partly special clones that were selected on experimental plots at the winery. Management is carried out using a central weather station whose data is transmitted to the university in Piacenza, where it is processed according to mathematical models and made available to the winery. This enables targeted measures to be taken in the vineyard. Pest control is carried out using environmentally friendly confusion methods and the use of chemical substances is reduced to a minimum. Weed control is carried out mechanically.
The product range includes wines from the DOC/DOCG areas Barbaresco, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, Piemonte, Langhe and Moscato d'Asti. Premium wines are Barbaresco Riserva Albesani Santo Stefano (over 50-year-old vines, fermentation in stainless steel, ageing in 35-hl wooden barrels), Barbera d'Alba Santo Stefano (fermentation in stainless steel, ageing in 35-hl wooden barrels) and Piemonte Albarossa (fermentation in stainless steel, ageing in 20% new barrique). Around 170,000 bottles of wine are produced annually, two thirds of which are exported (mainly to the USA and Canada, as well as England, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden).
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