I TRE POGGI (Piedmont, Italy)
If you were to be raised in the family of I Tre Poggi, you would be calling Mother Nature, "Mama" from the very start. Every thought of human action and interaction on the Monferrato estate is non-invasive and un-contaminating, with her in mind. Every process of nature is considered and respected. And mama provides for the family. The vines were first planted in 2001 and Alec Kristancic, active in the Return to Terrior movement, plotted his winemaking and seeking sincere relationships with real people the city could not provide. He has left nothing un-studied, from moon phase effects to solar exposition, from composting to conical vortexes. Everything is done in observance of the principals of the biodynamic discipline. He cultivates 4ha of Barbera, Freisa, Dolcetto and Moscato, beside 4ha of orchards and hazelnuts. He is a student of Nicolas Joly and a joint member in his alliance, Renaissance des Appellations. All this, and the fabulous spa built on the land as well, alone would make I Tre Poggi one of the great estates of the world if the wines themselves were not so alive, terrior- expressive and densely pure in each varietal. They are testament to the practices employed and the sincerity that drives it. They are children, luckily, more than a mother can love.