Daniele Ricci El Matt 2019

It was Daniele Ricci’s grandfather who purchased Cascina San Leto in Piedmont’s eastern hills in 1929, planting the farm with local grapes (mostly Timorasso with smaller amounts of Barbera and Croatina) and undertaking to raise cattle on the property. In fact, when phylloxera devastated most of the area’s vines in the mid-late 19th century, many growers abandoned Timorasso for Cortese because of its lack of productivity. Carlo Ricci stayed the course. Today Daniele is recognized as one of the region’s premier producers and is principally known for his wines made from Timorasso, a hyper-local varietal to which there are only 100 hectares planted today.

In the cellar, Daniele ferments his wines in stainless steel and then continues their élevage in either steel or neutral barrels (untoasted acacia or oak). He has recently purchased two unlined amphorae with which he intends to play around with Timorasso aging. Daniele’s idea is to produce varietal wines that are representative of tradition and terroir while working as naturally as possible in both the vineyard and cellar. None of Ricci’s wines are filtered nor fined and contain very little sulfur. Daniele is quietly confident in this “less is more” philosophy and his son Mattia seems equally reassured about the future and sustainability of their azienda.

Varietals planted: Timorasso (more than half of overall production), Barbera, Croatina, Nebbiolo, Sauvignon Blanc
Soil Composition: Clay/limestone
Method: Certified organic since 2017 / practicing organic since 1999