Castel del Lupo, in the heart of Oltrepò Pavese, dates back centuries – and includes the eighteenth century Palazzo Pegazzera. In 1974 three entrepreneurs took over this historic estate and began a regeneration process. Giovanni Doglio, whose father and grandfather were both Piemontese winemakers, has over 40 years’ experience managing wineries. Recently joined by his daughter Federica, he has worked tirelessly to develop the estate. They have purchased more vineyards (to cover 100ha at around 300m altitude), planted new vines and built a new cellar.
The vineyards are now certified organic (since 2020). The winery’s main focus is high quality bottle-fermented sparkling wine, and much of the vineyard is planted with Pinot Noir for this purpose. Castel del Lupo, Sparkling Pinot Noir Brut is produced from a selection of estate-grown grapes in Casteggio and Calvignano – where the Pinot Noir vines are planted on south-westerly facing hillside sites (around 300m altitude), in chalky clay soils. The wine is then produced according to the Charmat method, with second fermentation in tank.
Aromas of lemon and brioche with lightly toasty notes. The palate is fresh and dry, with citrus and apple characters balanced by crisp acidity. The wine has a fine and peristent mousse with honeyed fruit on the long finish.
