History
1988 — The Seghesio label is born
Aldo and Riccardo began the estate’s commercial history in 1988 by releasing the first bottle of Barolo bearing the Seghesio name. The business developed as a family-run Langhe estate rooted in Monforte d’Alba and focused on wines made from its own vineyards.
2020 — The first white wine joins the range
In 2020, the family introduced a white wine based on Incrocio Manzoni. The variety is not indigenous to the area, but the family considered its body, acidity, finesse and elegance compatible with the character of local wines. This addition expanded a range previously centred on red wines.
The present family team
Riccardo now works alongside his nephews Michela, Sandro and Marco. The four participate throughout the operation: vineyard work from pruning through harvest; cellar work from vinification through sales; and office responsibilities encompassing administration and promotion. The estate remains a small-to-medium-sized, family-run Langhe property, with 12 hectares of vineyards and annual production of approximately 60,000 bottles.
Terroir
The vineyards lie in the heart of the Langhe at Monforte d’Alba, on the eastern side of the village and overlooking the hill of Serralunga d’Alba. The documented vineyard elevations extend from 300 to 350 metres above sea level, with northern, north-eastern, eastern, southern and south-eastern exposures.
Much of the estate occupies young, shallow, calcareous soils containing silt and clay and a substantial sandy component. Their geological origin is marine sedimentary and is associated with the Serravallian-age Lequio Formation, dated to approximately 12 million years ago. Selected Nebbiolo parcels contain silty marl alternating with sandy soil, while the Incrocio Manzoni block has calcareous clay marl with sand and gravel.
The Barolo sector of Castelletto is steeply inclined and predominantly calcareous. Its soil is described as medium textured, young and shallow, with a predominance of silt, some sand, medium water retention and medium fertility. Within the cru, the La Villa sector occupies the oldest part of the Nebbiolo vineyard and benefits from a southerly exposure.
Winemaking
The estate follows integrated production and participates in the Sistema di Qualità Nazionale della Produzione Integrata (SQNPI), a voluntary certification system intended to combine continuing improvements in product quality with environmental protection. Production complies with Piedmont’s integrated-production rules from vineyard through bottle, providing traceability throughout the process.
Plant protection is based on environmentally sustainable products and technical support designed to reduce both the number of treatments and the quantities applied. Herbicide use receives particular attention with the aim of reducing it. Weed control is managed row by row. Harmful insects and fungi are monitored continuously, and defensive treatments are undertaken only when considered necessary.
All cellar production derives exclusively from the estate’s own grapes. Harvesting is manual across the documented vineyard blocks. The sequence begins with Incrocio Manzoni from late August to early September, followed by Dolcetto in late September, Barbera from late September into early October, and the remaining red varieties in October.
Winemaking is carried out by the family in the estate cellar, using only grapes grown in its own vineyards.
Red-wine processing
Red grapes ferment and macerate on their skins in rotary fermenters under temperature control at 25–30°C. Documented macerations range from 5–8 days for the shorter-cycle reds to approximately 10–15 days for Nebbiolo destined for Barolo. The Barolo lots complete malolactic fermentation before oak ageing.
Steel is used for wines intended to retain a fresher profile. The current maturation period for Dolcetto and the unoaked Barbera is nine months. Langhe Nebbiolo matures in steel for 12 months.
Oak regimes vary according to the intended expression. Used French-oak barriques hold the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo blend for 12 months. The old-vine La Chiesa Barbera matures for 18 months in French-oak barriques. Castelletto Barolo matures for approximately 24 months in 50 hl large Slavonian-oak casks. La Villa combines about 12 months in 225 l French-oak barriques with a further 12–18 months in 50 hl large oak casks.
White-wine processing
Incrocio Manzoni undergoes gentle pressing followed by immediate separation of the skins. The must is clarified by cold static settling, then fermented in steel for 10–15 days at controlled temperature. It remains in steel until bottling.
Philosophy
The Seghesio family’s stated objective is to make wines that faithfully express the characteristics of their land and grapes. Their approach combines established winemaking traditions with oenological innovation, based on a belief in the potential of the territory in its relative simplicity.
Family participation is central to this philosophy. Riccardo, Michela, Sandro and Marco share responsibility from pruning and harvest through vinification, sales, administration and promotion. This continuity supports the estate’s self-description as a typical, small-to-medium-sized Langhe farm with strong ties to its roots.
Environmental responsibility is pursued through SQNPI integrated production, complete vineyard-to-bottle traceability, estate-only fruit, reduced plant-protection inputs, attention to lowering herbicide use and intervention against pests or fungi only when monitoring indicates a need.