The winemaker · Roddi, Piemonte, Italy
Matteo Boasso
Light, fine Nebbiolo and Barbera from Roddi, foot-trodden and fermented on their own.
- Region
- Roddi, Piemonte, Italy
- Style
- Light, fine Nebbiolo and a fresh, juicy Barbera.
- Vineyard
- Roccabella, about a hectare and a half of Nebbiolo around the house, on Sant’Agata Fossili marl. The Barbera comes from an old vineyard next to it, on the same soil.
- Farming
- On organic principles, not certified. Copper and sulphur only, no herbicides, almost everything by hand.
- Winemaking
- Half whole bunches, half crushed by foot; spontaneous fermentation. Old wood for the Nebbiolo, steel for the Barbera.
- Signature
- Fine, light, layered and precise.
The wines
Wines from Matteo Boasso
The story
How he got here
Matteo Boasso made his first vintage in 2024, in Roddi. His Nebbiolo grows around his house, on the Roccabella hill: about a hectare and a half, one hectare facing south and half a hectare facing north, on Sant’Agata Fossili marl. For now he makes wine from only part of those grapes, and he wants that share to grow every year.
His Barbera comes from an old vineyard next to Roccabella, on the same soil, which he works himself. In 2026 he planted a hectare of Barbera on the Roccabella hill, facing south. It is not in production yet, and the plan is to bring the two together when it is.
In the vineyards, copper and sulphur only, no herbicides, almost everything by hand. Farmed on organic principles, not certified. In the cellar, half the bunches go in whole and half are crushed by foot, and fermentation starts on its own.
The place
RODDI, ROCCABELLA
Roccabella is the hill around Matteo’s house in Roddi. About a hectare of Nebbiolo faces south, and half a hectare faces north. The north side is cooler: it keeps the acidity and the freshness.
The soil is Sant’Agata Fossili marl. Matteo says it gives Nebbiolo finesse and elegance.
In the glass
How the wines feel
- 01
Two sides of a hill
Mostly south-facing, with a cooler north side that keeps acidity and freshness.
- 02
Marl
Silt, clay and limestone: Nebbiolo of finesse and elegance.
- 03
Half whole bunch
Half the bunches go in whole, half are crushed by foot. Fermentation starts on its own.
For the nerds
For the nerds
Roccabella is about a hectare and a half of Nebbiolo planted around Matteo’s house: one hectare faces south, half a hectare faces north. The vines are Guyot-trained.
Keep reading
Sant’Agata Fossili marl is a marine sedimentary formation: mostly silt and clay, with a good share of limestone. It runs under a large part of the Langhe, from Monvigliero in Verduno to the end of the Roccabella hill.
Half the bunches go in whole, half are crushed by foot, and fermentation starts on its own. The Nebbiolo age in old tonneau and barrique, so used that they add air and not flavour. Anima, the Barbera, stays in steel.
In the vineyards, copper and sulphur only, no herbicides, almost everything by hand: organic principles, not certified. Sulphur goes in after malolactic fermentation.