About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The vines grow on a slope in shallow, relatively poor soils of clay and sand containing tuff. They yield relatively few, small bunches with very juicy grapes. In 2014, La Bioca expanded the vineyard on the same slope onto land formerly planted with hazelnut bushes; the new vines gave their first harvest in 2016.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand into crates and gently pressed at the winery. After the juice is separated, it undergoes cold static settling. Fermentation takes place in steel tanks and oak barrels of various sizes, with regular stirring of the must. After fermentation, the wine macerates for 20 days.
Ageing
The wine ages for 12 months in oak barrels of various sizes.
Label / history
The name refers to the Italian word “ricciaia,” meaning a pile of chestnuts in their spiky husks, covered with leaves and earth. Such piles were once used to preserve chestnuts for several months and caused mild fermentation. “Riccio” means both hedgehog—the winery’s trademark—and the spiky husk of a sweet chestnut. Chestnuts form part of the food tradition of Cuneo, the capital of the province of the same name in Piedmont.
