Massimo Clerico

Massimo Clerico is the last descendant of a family that has been producing wines in the Lessona area since 1700. This land is very suitable for quality viticulture and for what is the most representative grape variety of Piedmont, Nebbiolo. The microclimate, the draining soil and the long experience, associated with the most modern technologies, give rise to high-level production. The company produces exclusively DOC wines based on Nebbiolo, Croatina, Vespolina and Bonarda Novarese. The choice to select the native vines of the area is not casual, but strategic, to personalize a production limited to around 10,000 bottles per year, coming from grapes grown on 2 hectares of property. Massimo Clerico's family has a long winemaking history behind it. The cellar, partly underground, consists of four rooms for production, bottling and aging. The house is the annexed building which has been registered in the land registry since the 18th century. Nebbiolo is the grape variety around which Massimo Clerico's activity revolves. in these parts, the variety is known by the name Spanna, as if to link its essence to a land capable of enhancing its organoleptic characteristics. There are two schools of thought on the etymology of the term Nebbiolo. On the one hand it is thought to be attributed to the abundant bloom that envelops the ripe bunches, making them appear tarnished. According to another theory, however, it is believed to be due to the fact that, being a late-harvesting vine, it must be harvested in late autumn in the midst of fog. The company wants to create wines that reflect a unique terroir like that of Lessona, in the province of Biella. All the vineyards they belong to are registered in the Lessona DOC register. There are four in total: Vigna Leria, Vigna Gaia, Vigna Putin and Vigna Gorena.