Cadgal and Moscato d’Asti DOCG

Cadgal and Moscato d’Asti DOCG

Moscato d’Asti DOCG covers a vast area of some 10,000 ha in Piemonte, spreading across the historic regions of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero. It produces and sells about 36 million bottles yearly, 90% of which are exports. That’s a lot of wine, yet it remains less well-known in the UK, dwarfed by the ubiquitous Prosecco¹. Hence, this article explains Moscato d’Asti, featuring three representative examples made by the Cadgal winery. We’ll see that this wine’s uniqueness deserves your attention!

Asti and Moscato d’Asti

While the Moscato Bianco (aka Muscat Blancs à Petit Grains) grape variety grows in every Italian region, a particularly auspicious association is in Piemonte. Moscato Bianco has grown there since at least the 1300s. Indeed, such has been its popularity and contribution to the local economy over centuries that the Consorzio dell’Asti dates back to 1932, long before DOC and DOCGs.

This highly versatile white grape variety can make aromatic wines from dry to super-sweet, still and sparkling. Wine students will also know that it’s one of the few grape varieties that produces wines with a grapey taste. Piemonte produces two of Italy’s most famous sparkling wines with it: Asti and Moscato d’Asti (DOC in 1967, DOCG since 1993). Both must contain at least 97% Moscato Bianco.²

However, although these two sparkling wines share the same grape variety and the same contiguous production area, they have very different styles and characters. Underneath a simple surface, the rules are complex but worth examining.

Asti DOCG

A brief word first about Asti.

Asti (Asti Spumante in its pre-DOCG days) as we know it began in 1865 when Carlo Gancia produced the first Italian sparkling wine made using the classic method from Champagne³. This was in the town of Canelli, and by 1900, there were 48 producers in Canelli, with another ten in nearby Santo Stefano.

While Metodo Classico still makes Asti today, that’s now a minority. The big turning point for Asti was adopting new wine technologies. In 1898, Martinotti invented the autoclave, a large temperature-controlled pressure tank, subsequently patented by Charmat in 1907. This fermentation system enabled the rapid production of large amounts of sparkling wine in as little as 30 days. Freed from the need for long refermentation in the bottle, it was also much cheaper.

Critically, this method better suits aromatic and fruity grape varieties like Moscato Bianco (and indeed Glera for Prosecco). The extensive lees contact so important to Champagne’s aroma and flavour only masks the fresh fruit of those wines. Furthermore, the adoption of refrigeration also meant that the base wines could be kept indefinitely when stored at around 0℃. That meant the wine could be freshly made anytime to meet demand. As well as preserving wine aromas, this is great for cash flow and the efficient use of expensive equipment.

Metodo Classico and Martinotti/Charmat

Hence, Asti comes in some Metodo Classico but predominantly Charmat/Martinotti versions. Grape yields can be as high as 100 hl/ha. It is usually dolce (sweet) in style, although since 2017, the rules now allow fully dry (secco) wines.  These wines also have a range of alcoholic strengths (6-12%). As the old Spumante name suggests, most wines have a full gas pressure of around five bar.  Others have less pressure, around 3-4 bar, so are frizzante (semi-sparkling). They all come with a familiar wire and capsule closure.

Most Asti is made in vast volumes by large wineries or cooperatives where industrial-scale economies rule. As for ageing, one month in the autoclave is the minimum requirement for Metodo Marinotti (9 months in the bottle for the Metodo Classico).  Quality has improved in recent years, and there are excellent examples, though these are outside the scope of this article.

Moscato d’Asti DOCG

While it uses the same grape from the same place, Moscato d’Asti is different and usually much higher quality. It’s typically from only the best Moscato Bianco sites. These are often on steep slopes and terraces at higher altitudes with much lower yields. This means riper grapes with more sugar and complexity.

Also, as Moscato Bianco is naturally lower in acidity, the best sites, being higher up, tend to preserve this acidity better. The wines are always sweet but balanced by the acidity essential for freshness, balance and longevity in the finished wine. These factors all play to the potential for Moscato d’Asti to produce “Cru” wines, capable of showing differences in terroir and with the potential to age well.

Smaller artisanal wineries

Meanwhile, Moscato d’Asti production tends to be smaller and based on family artisanal holdings. However, it only uses the Martinotti/Charmat process. Chilling and filtering stop the fermentation when about half of the sugar remains. Hence, these wines are low-pressure, with a maximum of only 1.7 bar^4. Indeed, the laws state that the minimum alcohol content is 4.5%, and the maximum is only 6.5%, roughly equating to a minimum of about 80g/l residual sugar and a potential alcohol content of 11-12%.

A unique style

Consequently, the hallmarks of this sparkling white wine are to be gently frothy (frizzantino), light in alcohol, and always sweet from unfermented residual sugar. The key to the best wines is how natural acidity balances the residual sugar so that the wines are not cloying but finish crisp and clean. This distinctive low-alcohol style is unique.

Because of the low gas pressure, the wine comes in a conventional wine bottle with a cork or screw cap. Hence, from the outside, there is no visible indication that Moscato d’Asti is sparkling.

Canelli DOCG

Until recently, the Moscato d’Asti DOCG also had three named subzones: Santa Vittoria d’Alba, Strevi, and Canelli. These zones might have been called “Classico” zones in other regions, but their geographical names are on the label. These wines must be 100% Moscato Bianco and usually are of higher quality.

However, in 2023, the Canelli subzone became a DOCG in its own right—as we saw above, it was an early production centre. Canelli is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly due to the extraordinary cellars dug beneath the town used for wine storage. Indeed, some 13km of tunnels make Canelli the Épernay of Asti!

Creating this new Canelli DOCG increases the number of Piemonte DOCGs to 19 and Italian DOCGs to 77! It allows only the Moscato d’Asti style using 100% Moscato Bianco (long known in this area as Moscato di Canelli). The first wines have been released, and one is featured below.

Canelli also stipulates lower maximum yields and hand harvesting. An innovation unique to Canelli is the new creation of a Riserva level for wines that mature for a minimum of 30 months, including 20 months in the bottle. While it’s still too early for any Riserva wines, this indicates ageing potential. This attribute has not been given enough weight in the past when the prevailing advice was always to “drink as young as possible.”

The last word on Canelli is that because it’s a geographical DOCG, the words “Moscato d’Asti” are no longer on the label (the word “Moscato” is), so it will take time to develop name recognition.

So, we now turn to Cadgal, a winery representing the different facets and excellence of Moscato d’Asti.

 

Cadgal

Cadgal has incorporated two Piemontese wine estates. Tenuta Valdivilla is in Santo Stefano Belbo, Langhe. It was previously owned by the pioneering Alessandro Boido and was known as Ca’ d’Gal. Tenuta La Cova, the companion winery, is in Calamandrana, Monferrato. As the crow flies, they are about 11 km apart.

In 2023, Alessandro Varagnolo, a Torino businessman, sommelier, and wine ambassador, acquired and rebranded this wine business. A professional winegrowing team assists him. Current wine production is about 80,000 bottles per annum, with a capacity for more. Sixty thousand bottles are Moscato-based, and the company has significant exports to Europe, North America, and Asia.

Contrasting landscapes

These two properties have very different landscapes. Valdivilla is located among the sharply ridged steep hills of the Langhe and is dedicated to producing Moscato Bianco at around 400 metres. Amidst a sea of vineyards, its six hectares of Moscato Bianco often occupy steep vineyards with marl/limestone soils containing blue clay lenses known as tufa.

In contrast, Tenuta La Cova occupies the gentler rolling landscape of  Monferrato at around 200 metres asl, the vineyards interspersed with forest and other agriculture. It has nine ha of vines and houses the winery operations. Three ha are for Moscato Bianco, but the remainder comprises Barbera d’Asti, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Nero, and Chardonnay. These latter two grape varieties offer the potential to develop Alta Langa DOCG sparkling wines in future – that’s an appellation fast developing an excellent reputation for dry Metodo Classico fizz.

Both properties have a heritage of old Moscato Bianco vines and enjoy a continental climate with cold winters, hot summers and long autumns, all moderated by the looming presence of the Alps.

Sustainability is at the top of Cadgal’s agenda. It is SQNPI-certified and undergoing complete organic conversion. This is particularly noteworthy because Moscato Bianco is susceptible to fungal diseases. The high altitude, steep slopes, and alpine winds undoubtedly help.

 

 

Three Cadgal wines – The different facets of Moscato d’Asti

Lumine,  Moscato d’Asti DOCG, 2023. 5%

Technical

From Tenuta Valdivilla vineyards at Santo Stefano Belbo, north-facing at 400m asl, using the youngest vines (20-45 yo with guyot-training). Yields are relatively low at 67 hl/ha, with manual harvest in early-mid September. Martinotti autoclave fermentation at 16-18 ℃, 120g/l residual sugar and low sulphur. According to market demand, there are several bottlings each year, with the unfermented grape-must kept at -1℃. This 2023 example was bottled and released in early 2023.

Tasting

Lumine is a classic example of Moscato d’Asti for young drinking. The best word I’ve found to describe it is Mordaci, which means cutting. It is pale yellow with a frothy white mousse. Some acacia or sage notes are bound into the predominantly grape aromas, while the palate offers some green apple and peach fruit. There’s enough acidity for balance, with a clean, palate-cleansing finish. Newbies to this wine start here. UK availability: EW Wines, £16.50

Sant Ilario, Canelli DOCG, 2023. 5%

Technical

A selection of grapes from Canelli DOCG vineyards at Tenuta Valdivilla, 400 metres asl. Vines average 70 years old with guyot-training. Hand harvest in mid-September, low yield at 55 hl/ha. Grapes are pressed under Carbon Dioxide to prevent oxidation and preserve aromatics. One fermentation in an autoclave at 16-18 ℃ and one yearly bottling. The longer and slower Martinotti method took place in spring 2024 following the 2023 harvest, then the wine was kept on lees for one year, before a further three months in bottle before release.  This is a “Cru” expression with 140 g/l residual sugar—10,000 bottles per year. Gambero Rosso Tre Biccheri.

Tasting

Sant Ilario is much more intense, complex and refined, with a much longer finish. All is as you might expect from Italy’s newest DOCG. A little deeper gold, the mousse has smaller bubbles and lasts longer in the glass.  The aromas are more assertive but highly refined, where musky scents (yes, it’s a muscat) blend with wisteria, grape and peach.  The finish is much longer and lingering but no less clean and refreshing. The riper palate is very well balanced between sweetness and acidity, while the fruity flavours of peach, apricot and orange flower water.

This wine is drinking very well now but offers ageing potential, too. On this evidence, I look forward to discovering the new Riserva-level wines when they come to market!  UK availability: Vinissimus, £24.40

Vite Vecchia, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, 2016, %

Technical

Also known as Vigne Vecchia, this Moscato d’Asti “Cru” is designed to express ageing, hence this 2016 vintage (the current release is 2018). Old vines 60-70 years old, guyot-training. Harvest when super-ripe. Very low yields (40 hl/ha) from one hectare with steep sandy slopes with best exposures at Valdivilla. Longer Martinotti process, with the highest 150g/l residual sugar, one fermentation in autoclave and bottling pa.

Unique maturation: the bottles are laid down (with a temporary capsule) in the cellar for five years within wooden crates of 288 bottles. These crates are then sand-filled to minimise light, vibration and temperature changes – a commercial process unique to Cadgal ⁴. A cork replaces the temporary closure at the final release.

Tasting

Vite Vecchia is positioned as one of the best “Cru” Moscato d’Asti wines demonstrating ageing potential. There’s no expense spared, with premium pricing to match. It’s a golden treat in the glass, topped with a pure white froth of teensy tiny bubbles. Ageing brings a welcome honeyed tone to the remarkably complex scents and fragrances. Sage, grape, green apple, peach and apricot are underpinned with a fleeting musky balsamic note. It’s a little sweeter, but there’s more acidity, too, so it finishes long and clean while the fruit complexity reprises the aromas. There’s a mineral edge and the welcome hint of orange flower water.

The overall impression is of great harmony and precision, with further development possible for those prepared to wait. This authentic gastronomic wine is better with food, including savoury and sweet dishes. Please take a look at the suggestions below. UK availability: IdealWine, £50.99

Food Matching

Regular readers know that I’ve previously recommended Moscato d’Asti as the ideal Christmas pick-me-up. Enjoy it on its own, but it does excel with food. Being sweet, the usual suggestions are light desserts. So there’s plenty of scope with Panna Cotta, Crème Brûlée and other “spoon” desserts.  Meringues, pastries and cakes are also perfect, from lemon drizzle cake to Panettone, a fruit-rich iced Christmas Cake or even Tiramisu.

However, the Cru wines are also potential partners for savoury dishes and cheeses. Seafood can work well, while salty blue cheeses and firmer cheeses containing fruits such as apricots are definite candidates.

For me, the opportunity to pair Moscato d’Asti with Asian cuisines has the most potential for success. Chinese, Korean and Japanese dishes with plenty of salty umami flavours from soy, miso, seaweed and kimchi are delicious. No wonder Cadgal has significant exports to Asian markets! I urge you to try Moscato d’Asti with Asian cuisines!

And Finally

It’s a great privilege, but if you’ve ever spent all day tasting big tannic Nebbiolo and Barbera reds, a glass of Moscato d’Asti afterwards is genuinely refreshing. It’s a palate cleanser, second to none! Moscato d’Asti can be a delicate and low-alcohol wine everyone can get behind! Fun-loving and frivolous? Nothing wrong with that. But there’s much more to Moscato d’Asti that is worth discovering!

 

Locations

Cadgal – Tenuta Valdivilla

Strada Vecchia di Valdivilla, 1

12058 Santo Stefano Belbo (CN)

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Cadgal – Tenuta La Cova

Frazione Valle Chiozze, 24

14042 Calamandrana (AT)

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Notes

1. In 2022 there were 102,720,000 million bottles, comprising 66,768,000 Asti DOCG (65%) and 35,952,000 Moscato DOCG (35%). In comparison, there were 638 million bottles of Prosecco.
2. A third wine is Vendemmia Tardiva. This is a late-harvest sweet wine, made in small amounts, which is not sparkling, so not covered here.
3. Those interested in various sparkling wine production methods can delve deeper here.
4. Some textbooks suggest that the maximum gas pressure for Moscato d’Asti is 2.0 or even 2.5 bar.  The figure is 1.7 bar, so the wine is frizzantino rather than frizzante!
5. Storing bottles in the sand: Cadgal is the only Moscato d’Asti winery to do this and is experimenting with extending this from five to ten years. As I have no benchmark of non-sand stored wines to compare and evaluate this process, I cannot describe how this technique improves those wines in terms of flavour, texture or aroma or to what degree. However, it is well known that minimising vibration, with complete darkness and constant temperature, is key to successful bottle maturation. Other similar storage ideas and experiments are on this website. I have seen storage methods undersea, in a disused silver mine, and within water-filled tanks. I don’t question their efficacy.

Thanks to Alessandro Varagnolo of Cadgal for the wines and hospitality. I also want to thank the Consorzio dell’Asti for providing additional facts and figures. Any errors are my own!