Punset: Langhe DOC Arneis 2023

It is a historical reminder that the Counts of Castelborgo used the Piedmontese dialect term Punset, which literally means "beautiful hill" or "peak," to describe the only one of their estates that rose above the autumn fog and could be admired from their castle.  

The long tradition of winemaking since acquiring the vineyards on the hill, however, is the legacy of the Marcarino family, although initially exclusively for personal use. 

In 1964, Renzo Marcarino officially began operations and brought the first bottles from the Punset wine cellar to market, but it was not until the early 1980s that a decisive decision, desired and implemented by his daughter Marina, marked a turning point for the company: the switch of all cultivation to organic farming, foregoing any pesticides and synthetic products. A demanding decision, consciously made and immediately regulated by certification.

Over the years, Marina Marcarino, who is now fully responsible for company management, has perfected agronomic methods that minimize the use of copper and sulfur treatments, favoring biodynamic preparations and sharing the agronomic philosophy of Masanobu Fukuoka, also known as "the agriculture of doing nothing."

Fully green-covered vineyards and limited use of mechanical soil cultivation characterize this company, which fits perfectly into nature. Through reforestation, the ecosystem has fully balanced itself, and today wildflowers, insects, and small wildlife contribute to the fertility of the vineyards. Great importance is placed on environmental protection, both by limiting mechanical soil cultivation and by recycling winemaking by-products.

For over a decade, solar panels have been installed for heating, and soon a photovoltaic system will be added for energy supply. Also in the wine cellar, in winemaking, the philosophy is to "let the vineyards speak," avoiding selected yeasts and enzymes so that the fruit can express the terroir of these vineyards. Traditional techniques are applied: winemaking in cement tanks, which Marina has always believed in, consideration of lunar phases during processing, long aging in wood, mainly in Slavonian oak barrels, followed by an equally long resting period in the bottle.