:: CASA BUFFETTO ::

Unser Chardonnay ist etwas Besonderes. Warum? Wir bauen vollreife Trauben nach einer uralten piemontesischen Keltertechnik aus, indem wir den Weisswein in der Maische mit der Schale der Trauben 2 Tage bei 4°C maserieren lassen, um sie hernach bei 16°-18°C gären zu lassen. Erst am 5-6 Tag der Gärung wird der Most abgebracht. Holz sieht unser Chardonnay nie. Der Ausbau erfolgt in Stahltanks und auf der Flasche. So entstehen ganz eigenständige, kräftige und wenn Sie wollen, vielleicht gewöhnungsbedürftige Weine von besonderer Qualität.

The Chardonnay is certainly the most popular white wine variety worldwide at the present time. This variety of grapevines is said to have been brought to France from the mountains of Lebanon by crusaders. Its name "Chardonnay" (translated: place full of thistles) probably originates from a place of the same name in Burgundy. Via the Rhone Valley, cultivation of these vines spread northward into the Burgundy/Chablis region, as well as the Champagne, where the white grape variety represents one of the three approved champagne vine sorts. Whereas in France this variety of grape was originally used only as a mixing partner (champagne) or an unnamed grape variety in a regional designation (e.g. Chablis), it is being marketed today more and more as a variety of wine. Sometimes this wine is aged in oak casks in order to imitate the taste of Burgundy. At Casa Buffetto, however, we do not make wine this way since we want to keep the typical flavour of the grape as pure as possible.

Besides Barbera and Nebbiolo, the Casa Buffetto estate owns half a hectare of its own Chardonnay. Hence, the Chardonnay completes the Casa Buffetto range of red wines. Like the other wines of the estate, the Chardonnay is also a D.O.C. wine. The total production at Casa Buffetto amounts to about 2000 bottles of Chardonnay a year.

Chardonnay lends itself to a wide spectrum of winemaking techniques. Wines that can be aged a very long time are not obtained from Chardonnay, however. With too high a yield, the Chardonnay is usually unpleasant, which is why a quality-oriented cultivation of this wine is especially important. With such cultivation, excellent results can be obtained, as the Chardonnays of our estate prove.

The Chardonnay grapes grown at many places in the Piedmont have resulted in particularly splendid wines. Thus the Roero/Langhe area around Casa Buffetto is also excellently suited to cultivation of Chardonnay. The Chadonnay of the Casa Buffetto estate is distinguished by its clear fruity nose, which lingers on the palate. The wine has light honey tones in the fruit, but is nevertheless dry and full-bodied. It has a clear and clean structure, and is suitable for serving with poultry, fish, pork or veal, but also tastes good with pasta or hard cheese.