Italy · Monferrato & Asti

Cantina Sant Evasio

Third-generation Monferrato estate in Nizza Monferrato farming 10 hectares of Barbera and Arneis, with the Nizza D.O.C.G. as its long-aged flagship.

The producer

Cantina Sant'Evasio farms 10 hectares in the Monferrato hills above Nizza Monferrato, a town in Piemonte's Asti province where Barbera has dominated the hillside vineyards for generations. The estate is now in its third generation, all fruit is estate-grown around the farmhouse, and the range runs on a single conviction: that Barbera from the right cru, given enough maceration time and careful oak ageing, holds its own against any red in the region. The San Nicolao cru, where the Barbera parcels sit at 220 to 230 metres above sea level on marly-calcareous soil, gives the fruit the altitude and drainage it needs to build real acidity and colour.

The Nizza D.O.C.G. sits at the top of the range: 100% Barbera fermented for 10 days on the skins, aged 18 months in a combination of small and large oak barrels, then held a further year in bottle before release. The Barbera d'Asti D.O.C.G. Superiore follows a shorter route, seven days on the skins and one year in large oak, with eight to ten years of ageing potential. The Langhe Arneis D.O.C. Rugiada, from a marly-calcareous plot at 280 metres, is cold-fermented in stainless steel without oak and designed for drinking within three to four years.

Known for

Barbera d'Asti D.O.C.G. and Nizza D.O.C.G.

Notable facts

The story

From farmhouse to flagship

Mr. Lacqua bought the farmhouse and its land in the 1960s, when the Monferrato hills ran mostly on mixed farming and bulk sales: grapes went to cooperatives or merchants, and bottling estate wine under a family name was not a common ambition for a smallholder in the Asti province. Pier Franco changed that. He took over the estate and turned it toward formal winemaking, separating the Barbera parcels by cru, extending maceration times, and committing to oak ageing for both the Superiore and the Nizza. By the time the third generation arrived, the estate had a name in the Nizza Monferrato zone and a flagship wine built to last a decade in bottle. The farmhouse that Mr. Lacqua bought as agricultural land now sits at the centre of 10 hectares farmed entirely by the family, and every bottle carries fruit grown on the property.

From the atlas

Cantina Sant'Evasio

At A Glance

The Producer

Cantina Sant'Evasio farms 10 hectares in the Monferrato hills above Nizza Monferrato, a town in Piemonte's Asti province where Barbera has been the dominant grape for generations. The estate is now in its third generation, all fruit is grown around the farmhouse, and the range is built on a single conviction: that Barbera, given the right parcel and enough time in oak and bottle, can hold its own against any red in Piemonte.

The two Barbera-based wines sit at the centre of everything. The Nizza D.O.C.G., from the San Nicolao cru at 230 metres above sea level, spends 18 months in a combination of small and large oak barrels, then a further year in bottle before release. The Barbera d'Asti Superiore, from the same cru at 220 metres, takes a year in large oak and carries eight to ten years of ageing potential. Both are 100% Barbera. Neither is a compromise bottle.

Place

Nizza Monferrato sits in the southern part of the Monferrato hills, east of Alba, in a landscape of rounded clay ridges and marly-calcareous soils. The Barbera grape dominates here, covering more of the Asti province's vineyard area than any other variety. The altitude at Sant'Evasio's San Nicolao parcels, between 220 and 230 metres, gives the fruit a longer growing season than lower valley sites, which translates into better colour concentration, firmer acidity, and a tannin level that Barbera at warmer elevations rarely achieves.

Nizza D.O.C.G. is the appellation carved from within Barbera d'Asti to mark the best Barbera parcels in the Nizza Monferrato zone. Barbera d'Asti D.O.C.G. is the broader designation covering a wide area of the Asti and Alessandria provinces. Nizza narrows that down: only Barbera from the Nizza Monferrato zone qualifies, yields are capped lower, oak ageing requirements are longer, and release comes later. A Sant'Evasio bottle labelled Nizza has spent more time in wood and glass before it leaves the cellar than the Superiore beside it on the shelf.

The Arneis vineyard sits higher still, at 280 metres on marly-calcareous ground. Arneis is a white grape native to Piemonte, associated with the Roero hills across the Tanaro river. The Sant'Evasio Rugiada carries the Langhe D.O.C. designation, placing it in the Langhe hills rather than Roero.

Soil And Site

The San Nicolao cru, where the Barbera parcels sit, has the marly-calcareous composition typical of the Monferrato hills: compacted marl and calcium-rich clay that drains well and holds enough mineral matter to drive acidity in the fruit. At 220 to 230 metres, the parcels cool faster at night than floor-level sites, which slows ripening and preserves the acid backbone and Barbera can age. The Arneis vineyard at 280 metres is higher than both Barbera plots, cooler in late summer, and gives the grape the freshness it needs for an unoaked white wine designed for early drinking.

Story

Mr. Lacqua bought the farmhouse and its grounds in the 1960s. He was acquiring agricultural land in the Monferrato hills at a time when small-scale farming in Piemonte still centred on mixed crops and bulk wine production rather than estate bottling. Barbera was grown, but its future as a premium wine grape was not obvious then.

Pier Franco took over and modernised operations, formalising the winemaking direction and focusing the estate's energy on quality production from its own parcels. The commitment that followed, to farming estate fruit and separating the Nizza cru from the entry-level Barbera, shaped the range into what it is now: a three-wine lineup in which every bottle is estate-grown, every red is 100% Barbera, and the top wine carries a decade or more of ageing potential. The third generation runs the estate today.

Vineyards And Cellar

All 10 hectares are farmed by the estate. No grapes are bought in, no négociant wine is made. The Barbera parcels are at the San Nicolao cru, and each wine takes a separate route through the cellar.

For the Barbera d'Asti Superiore, fermentation runs for seven days in steel tanks with the skins present. The wine then moves to large oak barrels for one year. The longer contact with large-format wood gives a softer, more integrated oak note than smaller barrels would, and the 7-day maceration builds enough colour and tannin for the wine to carry eight to ten years in bottle.

The Nizza D.O.C.G. follows a different path. Fermentation extends to approximately 10 days in steel with skins, extracting more from the fruit. The wine then ages for 18 months in a combination of small and large oak barrels before a further year in bottle before release. Small barrels add a denser wood character and more oxygen exchange; large barrels moderate that effect. The blended maturation is a calibrated choice: enough oak to support a decade-plus of ageing without the fruit going under.

The Arneis Rugiada is pressed gently, fermented cold at 18 degrees Celsius in stainless steel, and sees no oak. It is built for freshness and a three-to-four year drinking window.

Wines

Three wines, one white and two reds, all estate-grown.

Barbera d'Asti D.O.C.G. Superiore is 100% Barbera from the San Nicolao cru at 220 metres. Seven days of skin fermentation in steel, then one year in large oak. It spends one year in large oak after seven days of fermentation in steel tanks. It is the entry red and the more approachable of the two Barbera bottlings in youth.

Nizza D.O.C.G. is 100% Barbera from the same cru at 230 metres, with a longer maceration of around 10 days, 18 months in mixed oak, and a year in bottle before release. The extra time and the addition of smaller barrels in the maturation phase push the wine toward a darker, more layered character: deeper colour, more oak integration, a firmer tannin frame, and an ageing arc that runs to ten years and beyond. This is the estate's most demanding bottle.

Langhe Arneis D.O.C. Rugiada is 100% Arneis from a marly-calcareous vineyard at 280 metres. Cold-fermented in stainless steel with no oak contact, it is pale, fresh, and light-bodied, with the floral and white stone fruit character typical of Arneis at altitude. Drink it within three to four years of vintage.

In The Glass

The Barbera d'Asti Superiore opens with dark cherry and a hint of dried herb, the kind of fruit that comes from Barbera grown at altitude rather than on valley floor sites. In the mouth, firm acidity runs through a mid-palate of plum and baked cherry, with a lightly smoky note from the large oak ageing. The finish is long but not heavy, and the tannin is soft enough to drink with three to four years of age, though the wine improves further.

The Nizza D.O.C.G. is a denser proposition. The darker fruit on the nose, black cherry and blackcurrant rather than red cherry, reflects the longer maceration and the contribution of smaller barrels during ageing. In the mouth, it is fuller, the oak more pronounced, the tannin firmer. Acidity keeps the wine alive and prevents the density from feeling closed. Given five years from vintage, the fruit and oak begin to knit into something more unified.

The Arneis Rugiada is pale gold with a slightly floral nose, peach blossom and white pear. In the mouth it is light and clean, with a mild acidity that keeps it fresh. No oak, no weight. A wine for the table in its first few years.

A Bottle To Understand It

Start with the Nizza D.O.C.G. It is 100% Barbera from the San Nicolao cru at 230 metres, fermented for 10 days on the skins, aged 18 months in a combination of small and large oak barrels, and held a further year in bottle before release. In the glass it shows dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit, a firm but integrated oak character, and the kind of clean, driving acidity that Barbera on marly-calcareous hillside soil produces when the site is right. The finish is long and savoury. It has a decade of life in a good vintage. This one bottle explains what altitude, extended maceration, and careful oak selection do to Barbera in the Nizza zone.

Anecdote

Mr. Lacqua bought the farmhouse and its land in the 1960s. At the time, the Monferrato hills ran mostly on mixed farming and bulk sales: grapes went to cooperatives or merchants, and the idea of bottling estate wine under a family name was not a common ambition for a smallholder in the Asti province. Pier Franco changed that. He took over the estate and turned it toward formal winemaking, separating the Barbera parcels by cru, extending maceration times, and committing to oak ageing for both the Superiore and the Nizza. By the time the third generation arrived, the estate had a name in the Nizza Monferrato zone and a flagship wine built to last a decade in bottle. The farmhouse that Mr. Lacqua bought as agricultural land now sits at the centre of 10 hectares farmed entirely by the family, and every bottle carries fruit grown on the property.

Final Word

Cantina Sant'Evasio is a Monferrato estate with a clear argument: Barbera, from the right hillside cru, with extended oak ageing, earns a long table life. The Nizza D.O.C.G. makes that argument in the glass. The Superiore makes a more accessible version of it. The Arneis white steps outside Barbera altogether and offers something lighter for early drinking. Three wines, one estate, 10 hectares of marly-calcareous hill ground above Nizza Monferrato. Enough to understand both the place and the grape.

Sources

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