Iuli

Fabrizio Iuli calls himself a ‘barberista’ because of his love and dedication to the barbera grape. His aim is to reflect the territory and the nature of the grape as much as possible. The territory is Montaldo di Cerrina, a tiny town in the rural Monferrato region in between Turin and Milan. In this hidden corner of Piemonte the pace of life is slow, and agriculture is the main way of life: far from the tour buses and manicured rows of vines in the Langhe.

For Iuli, the most important part of this area is the vein of limestone that runs through the hills. He has found a selection of parcels throughout the area that all share the same chalky-white soil, and by working in a natural way, with native yeasts and only stainless steel, concrete, and old oak vessels, he allows the wines to express themselves in a way that is subtle yet joyful, easy to drink yet complex.

The vineyards are all certified organic, as the fields around the town have never been farmed with chemicals. For him, working naturally, whether this is organically or biodynamically, must make good sense for each individual winemaker, rather than being ideological or prescriptive. Only in this way, he believes, will good wine be made, and the land and its people cared for.