Crescendo Pigato Selvadolce 2023

Crescendo Pigato Selvadolce, biodynamic wine, rare Pigato grape, short skin contact, complex and richly flavoured wine for Mediterranean food.  In the heart of Bordighera, a town on the beautiful Ligurian coast, lies Selvadolce, a small biodynamic winery run by Aris Blancardi. Originally a horse veterinarian, Aris transitioned to taking over his family’s business. His fascination with alternative farming methods, especially for flower cultivation, propelled him to enhance the inherited agricultural techniques of his predecessors.  His initial foray into biodynamic farming occurred in Langhe. But it was a course, steered by the renowned, iconic, Nicholas Joly, that solidified his commitment to this practice.  Crescendo is derived from Pigato, a Ligurian variant of the widely known Vermentino. The grapes are meticulously hand-harvested and naturally fermented in seasoned barrels using indigenous yeast. The resulting concoction is an intriguing mix of savoury and saline notes, underpinned by a palpable minerality. Its bouquet brims with the aroma of honey, white flowers, stone fruit, and a hint of spice.

Selvadolce is a small biodynamic farm in Bordighera on the coast of Liguria, run by wine maker Aris Blancardi. Aris came back to the family flower business, taking over his father’s work and improved the farming practices by looking for alternative ways to grow flowers. He first learnt the basics of biodynamic farming in the Langhe, then followed up with a course led by Nicholas Joly that convinced him to start making wine at Selvadolce. Aris’ grandfather had planted vineyards using local grape varieties such as Pigato and Vermentino. The first vintage with these grapes was released in 2007. His experience with flowers steered him naturally towards non interventionist wine making from the very beginning. Aris has 7 hectares of vineyards that are strongly influenced by the proximity of the sea and the powerful mistral winds. The vines are comprised of a few young vineyards of Pigato, Vermentino, plus some splendid vineyards of Rossese that he planted at 600m altitude on sandy soil, close to the inland village of Dolceacqua. For most of the wines, fermentation happens naturally in wooden vats. Aris also experiments with a few skin maceration whites made from the old vines his grandfather planted.