- Priocca d'Alba -
The Municipality of Priocca boasts, among its many attractions, a remarkable panoramic viewpoint known as “Tre Pini”, truly unique in the Roero region. This hill is particularly striking because its summit suddenly shifts in slope in an almost unnatural way, making vineyard cultivation on these terraces exceptionally challenging.
On the western to northwestern-facing side of this hill, overlooking the Municipality of Castellinaldo, there is a section where the slope becomes perfectly suited for vines. Here lies the Vigna Costa di Castellero, named after the cru/MGA “Castellero” where it is situated. The name itself hints at history: the shape of the hill suggests that beneath it may once have stood a castle or fortification, likely destroyed during the Saracen pirate raids. The vineyard’s name, Costa di Castellero, thus reflects its position on the slope below where the castle once proudly stood.
From a geological perspective, the soils of this vineyard belong to the S7 zone, characterized by Blue Clays from the Lower Pliocene formation. These soils, combined with the unique slope and exposure, create a terroir that is both challenging to cultivate and remarkable in its potential for viticulture.
An interesting feature of this vineyard is its location almost on the border with the Municipality of Castellinaldo. This unique positioning allows Vigna Costa di Castellero to proudly cultivate Barbera d’Alba D.O.C. – Castellinaldo d’Alba Subzone. This subzone represents a small and highly specific area within the larger Barbera d’Alba D.O.C., distinguished by its uniqueness and considered the premium expression of Barbera d’Alba, as it is the only officially authorized subzone. Its prestige is comparable to the Barbera d’Asti Nizza subzone, which later became the autonomous Nizza D.O.C.G.
The Barbera d’Alba D.O.C. – Castellinaldo Subzone specifically encompasses areas of the eastern Roero, covering parts of seven municipalities: Castagnito, Guarene, Vezza d’Alba, Canale d’Alba, Priocca, and Magliano Alfieri, as illustrated on the official maps.
This subzone was conceived and promoted due to its distinctive terroir, understood as the combination of pedoclimatic characteristics that give rise to this one-of-a-kind wine. In particular, the soil is marly-gypsum with sandstone (marine sedimentary rocks rich in sand), interspersed with white and gray-blue marls, containing high levels of limestone, silt, and a touch of clay. The geology of this area is markedly different from that of the classic western Roero, where the famous Rocche del Roero are found. The steep hills in this region were formed by the erosion and shifting course of the Tanaro River, from the Carmagnola direction toward Asti, creating formations very similar to the Langa of Barbaresco, which lies in close proximity to the Roero.
Indeed, the Ca’ Grossa Estate, in the part facing the Tanaro River, offers breathtaking views over the eastern Roero, particularly overlooking the Guarene Castle, highlighting the connection between landscape, terroir, and viticulture in this exceptional area.
An interesting feature of this vineyard is its location almost on the border with the Municipality of Castellinaldo. This unique positioning allows Vigna Costa di Castellero to proudly cultivate Barbera d’Alba D.O.C. – Castellinaldo d’Alba Subzone. This subzone represents a small and highly specific area within the larger Barbera d’Alba D.O.C., distinguished by its uniqueness and considered the premium expression of Barbera d’Alba, as it is the only officially authorized subzone. Its prestige is comparable to the Barbera d’Asti Nizza subzone, which later became the autonomous Nizza D.O.C.G.
The Barbera d’Alba D.O.C. – Castellinaldo Subzone specifically encompasses areas of the eastern Roero, covering parts of seven municipalities: Castagnito, Guarene, Vezza d’Alba, Canale d’Alba, Priocca, and Magliano Alfieri, as illustrated on the official maps.
This subzone was conceived and promoted due to its distinctive terroir, understood as the combination of pedoclimatic characteristics that give rise to this one-of-a-kind wine. In particular, the soil is marly-gypsum with sandstone (marine sedimentary rocks rich in sand), interspersed with white and gray-blue marls, containing high levels of limestone, silt, and a touch of clay. The geology of this area is markedly different from that of the classic western Roero, where the famous Rocche del Roero are found. The steep hills in this region were formed by the erosion and shifting course of the Tanaro River, from the Carmagnola direction toward Asti, creating formations very similar to the Langa of Barbaresco, which lies in close proximity to the Roero.
Indeed, the Ca’ Grossa Estate, in the part facing the Tanaro River, offers breathtaking views over the eastern Roero, particularly overlooking the Guarene Castle, highlighting the connection between landscape, terroir, and viticulture in this exceptional area.
The decision to expand the Tenimenti Terre Imperiali vineyards into this area was driven by the desire to offer a broader expression of Barbera d’Alba, allowing for a variation between the wine produced south of the Tanaro River, at the Tenuta Ca’ Grossa in Barbaresco, and that cultivated north of the river, in the Vigna Costa di Castellero, within the Castellinaldo Subzone.
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| Priocca's Cru's |
The Castellero Cru (see map above) is also the smallest of the nine Roero crus in Priocca and is located in a central position within the area.
Vigna di Castellero – Vineyard Plot “Margherita d’Alcontres”: Barbera d’Alba – Subzone Castellinaldo D.O.C. (Red plot)
Vigna di Castellero – Vineyard Plot “Alessandro d’Alcontres”: Roero Arneis D.O.C.G. (Blue plot)
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