Punset was the first winery to produce organic certified Barbaresco DOCG. The estate is in Cuneo province in the Piemonte region of Italy, specifically in the commune of Neive whose skyline the estate overlooks from a rotund rise in the land described by the Counts of Neive as a ‘punset’. It produces Barbaresco DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, and various Langhe DOC wines.
 

Owner: The Marcarino family. The first wines were marketed from 1964 by Renzo Marcarino (whose business was in construction). The estate is run today by Marina Marcarino, Renzo’s grand daughter. Marina took over the wine side (rather than construction side) after Renzo died suddenly in 1982, along with Marina’s cousin. Marina discovered organics whilst studying at university, so when she took over in 1987 she went organic. Punset was the first winery to produce a certified organic Barbaresco, and was one of the first organic names I came across, thanks to Tony Mason of the Organic Wine Company in the UK and whilst I was writing my first book, The Organic Wine Guide (1994, Thorsons) for Friends of the Earth.

Estate vineyards: 2010 40ha.

Organics: The winery converted entirely to organic methods in 1987.

Organic certification: 1993 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2005 Ecocert Italia. | 2013 Ecogruppo Italia.

Other products: Looking to produce vodka in Minsk, Belorussia.

White wines

Langhe DOC Bianco, Né?: 100% Chardonnay.

Langhe DOC Arneis: Arneis. 400 metres. Oldest vines from 1985, youngest from 2009. 5,500 vines/ha. 2012 Stainless steel. 70% MLF. 12,000 bottles.

Langhe DOC Chardonnay:

Red wines

Barbera d’Alba DOC Vigneto Zocco: Vigneto Zocco is the family’s best Barbera vineyard.

Barbaresco DOCG, Basarin: From a single 4ha block in the Basarin vineyard near the village of Neive. 350 metres. David Berry Green  says of Marina’s two Barbareschi the ‘Basarin is the more classically structured, with richer root ginger generosity overlying a minerally, square, tannic foundation; she talks of Basarin having 17% active limestone in its sandy soils. A [bigger] wine than Campo Quadro.’ | 2008 Bottled. | 2009 In 2009 Marina added some fruit from the east-facing San Cristoforo vineyard to the Basarin wine. | 2012 Bottled as a Riserva. ‘Damp and cold weather during flowering naturally reduced the crop. A sense of more focus, perhaps helped by 25% new oak,’ note Berry Bros & Rudd (in BBR ‘Grand Tour’ 2016, p.3).

Barbaresco DOCG, Campo Quadro: Campo Quadro is the upper part (420 metres) of the San Cristoforo cru (vineyard) in Neive. Its 1.2ha of vines are surrounded by forest. The winery is at 350m. First planted 1964. | 1985: First bottled under this name. ‘Sandier, finer soils [than Basarin], great ventilation, light and the best view. Aged for four years in 500 litre used French tonneaux,’ says David Berry Green, who adds Marina ‘does a submerged cap at the beginning of fermentation, cap rises at mid-fermentation, and she then racks the wine with no added pressed wine (that goes into the Basarin). She then ages the wine for 3 months in new barrels, before seperating it into new and old tonneaux and racks every 3 months. Marina used to bottle everything in Bordeaux-shaped bottles, but decided to change to the Albeisa shape popular in Langa a few years ago. However, her Swiss importer asked her to continue to bottle Campo Quadro in the old bottles, so she did,’ note Berry Bros & Rudd (in BBR ‘Grand Tour’ 2016, p.3). | 2001 14%. | 2008 Bottled. | 2011 A dry, hot season. Aged in barrels and tonneaux.

Barbaresco DOCG Riserva: 2007 From Neive.

Dolcetto d’Alba DOC: 2005 Summer rains.

Dolcetto d’Alba DOC Campo Re: 2004 Bottled.

Dolcetto delle Langhe DOC: Dolcetto.

Langhe Rosso DOC, Dualis: 2004 70% Dolcetto, 30% Pinot Nero.

Langhe Rosso DOC, NEH!: Exists.

Nebbiolo delle Langhe DOC: 2002 Bottled.

Contact

Punset

Frazione Moretta 5 or Via Zocco, 2

12057 Neive (CN), Italy

Tel+39 0173.67072

Website: www.punset.com