Here we are, in the DOCG (Denomination of Origin) Dogliani appellation, just south of the Barolo area, where the principal grape variety is Dolcetto. In 1928, the Gillardi family moved to Farigliano, settling on the splendid hill known as “Corsaletto,” or Cursalet in dialect, giving its name to the farmhouse and surrounding vineyard as well. Giacomo, born in France in 1905, returned to his homeland with the clear intention of working this land. His first viticultural experiences in the Côtes du Rhône had enlightened him on what his path would have been. From that moment, the Gillardi family began growing grapes. It was the third generation (in 1980), however, that actually started bottling the first wines. In that year, Giacolino was an enologist at the prestigious Enological Institute in Alba and the importance and diffusion of bottling one’s own wine production was becoming more concrete in the entire Langhe area. In the past, the Dolcetto grapes grown at Cascina Cursalet had been sold to other winemakers; from 1980 on, however, the Cascina bottled its own production. Those were years of great optimism and development, thanks to improved winemaking techniques and to the hard work of Pinuccia and Giovanni Battista.
The company acquired a considerable number of new vineyards during that period as well. The construction of the cellar was concluded at the beginning of the new century, an authentic symbol of creativity aligned with the proactive and determined spirit of the Gillardi family. Since 2011, this same spirit and adventure are present in the new cellar in Barolo as well, built in the very city centre of the hometown of this amazing wine.
VINEYARDS
The property owns roughly 7 hectares (17.3 acres) of vineyard, entirety positioned with a complete southern-facing exposure, alongside the imposing hillside of the Tanaro river valley. From here, looking south, it is possible to see the ridges of the Monregalese Langa hills; in the opposite direction one can distinguish the peaks of Monforte and La Morra. Beyond the river, the plains, and the magnificence of the Alps, the eye can see the Monviso mountain and the Cervino peak in the distance, up to the colossal Monte Rosa. All of the soils have the same geological origin, and although contiguous, each reveals significant differences.
The clay-rich soil, typically a whitish color due to the high quantities of limestone, can also display irregular areas of bluish marl. In several parts of the Cursalet vineyards, and in the parcel of the Maestra vineyard known as “Quazzini,” one can catch a glimpse of small granules of silica accompanied by a consistency that is lighter than its typical clay-rich soil. In these two areas, as in the slightly more sandy and well-draining soil of the Harys vineyard, it is possible to produce exceptional wines; these vineyards display a superb natural balance with always moderate yield. If we were in Burgundy, these would be the Grand Crus. In absolute respect of the nature and the typicity of the territory, the winery works the land without the use of herbicides, using only copper and sulfur to defend against parasites and other insects.
CELLAR
The upper part of the cellar is dedicated to the reception of the grapes in stainless steel tanks. For those wines that undergo a longer maceration period, Gillardi still uses small glazed cement tanks, a kind of material very much used in the past, abandoned in favour of the handier stainless-steel, lately back in the game thanks to its intrinsec qualitative characteristics. In fact, the thermal inertia of this material guaranteeing a natural control of the temperature during fermentation. The wine arrives in the below ground portion of the cellar by gravity. Here, impressive metal cages filled with stones keep the humidity at above 60%, optimal conditions for the preservation of wooden barrels. The platform used for tastings is equipped with a wrought-iron table, whose perfect reproduction will serve as a symbol and frame for each of the labels of the wines ageing in this space.
