Garassino

Garassino sits within the commune of Treiso, one of the three core villages of the Barbaresco DOCG alongside Barbaresco and Neive. The vineyard spans 3.7 hectares at elevations ranging from 180 to 260 meters, with a dual aspect that includes both west-facing and north-east-facing slopes. This combination of exposures allows for extended sun exposure across nearly the entire day, a feature noted as exceptional for the site. The Tanaro River, which flows through the Langhe landscape below, contributes a maritime moderating influence on the microclimate.

• Commune: Treiso, one of three core Barbaresco villages
• Elevation range: 180 to 260 meters
• Dual aspect: west-facing and north-east-facing slopes
• Tanaro River provides maritime microclimate influence

The soils of Garassino derive from the Serravallian geological period, a Middle Miocene epoch that shaped much of the Langhe's most celebrated vineyard land. The profile combines marly and sandy layers with silty, fine-sediment deposits, along with clay and limestone components. This loamy, calcareous structure drains well while retaining sufficient moisture to sustain the vine through Piedmont's variable growing seasons. The Serravallian formation is associated with wines of aromatic finesse and structural refinement, qualities consistently described in Garassino's character.

• Geological period: Serravallian (Middle Miocene)
• Soil composition: marl, sand, silt, clay, and limestone
• Loamy texture with fine sediments promotes drainage and moderate moisture retention
• Serravallian soils linked to aromatic complexity and structural elegance in Barbaresco

Tenuta Carretta first produced wine from Garassino in 1987, establishing the vineyard's identity as a single-site Barbaresco well before the formal MGA system existed. The Barbaresco Consorzio officially codified 66 Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive in 2007, and Garassino was included among them, providing formal recognition to a site that producers had long treated as distinct. As a monopole, Garassino is entirely within Tenuta Carretta's ownership, making it one of the rarer single-producer MGAs in the denomination. The MGA system mirrors Burgundy's cru concept in spirit, attaching geographical identity and traceability to individual vineyard parcels.

• First vintage: 1987, produced by Tenuta Carretta
• MGA status granted in 2007 by the Barbaresco Consorzio
• Monopole: 100% owned by Tenuta Carretta
• Part of a network of 66 officially approved Barbaresco MGAs

Garassino is planted exclusively to Nebbiolo, the only variety permitted under Barbaresco DOCG regulations. The wines are described as complex, elegant, and refined, with aromatic profiles centered on violet, withered rose, vanilla, and spice. The body is medium rather than massive, with finesse as the defining characteristic. This profile aligns with the broader style associated with Treiso, where Serravallian soils tend to produce wines of aromatic delicacy and length rather than sheer power. The combination of the site's extended sun exposure and moderating river influence supports full phenolic ripeness without overripeness.

• Sole variety: Nebbiolo
• Aromatic profile: violet, withered rose, vanilla, spice
• Body: medium-weight with finesse as the defining quality
• Treiso's Serravallian soils favor aromatic complexity over structural weight