Ca' del Baio 'Luna d'Agosto' Chardonnay Langhe 2024 750ml

Product Info

Terroir
“Luna d’Agosto” is sourced from Ca’ del Baio’s estate holdings in the Langhe, a landscape where rolling hills, calcareous marl, and warm days tempered by cool nights create an ideal cradle for Chardonnay. Though better known for Nebbiolo, this corner of Piedmont has quietly become a home for expressive, mineral-driven whites, thanks to elevated vineyard sites that catch steady breezes and retain good diurnal variation. The soils—rich in limestone with veins of clay—contribute tension and a fine, salty backbone, helping the fruit achieve ripeness without losing precision. The 2024 vintage, shaped by a warm but balanced growing season, yielded pristine grapes with excellent aromatic freshness and an especially clean sense of varietal character.

Winemaking & Technical Notes
Ca’ del Baio vinifies “Luna d’Agosto” with a focus on clarity and purity rather than oak-driven power. The grapes are harvested at night or early dawn to preserve acidity—hence the poetic name—and are gently pressed before undergoing a cool fermentation in stainless steel. Elevage continues in steel on fine lees for several months, building mid-palate weight while guarding the wine’s sleek, linear style. There is no oak influence; instead, the winemaking team emphasizes controlled temperature and long, careful lees contact to bring texture without sacrificing brightness. The result is a Chardonnay crafted in a distinctly Piedmontese idiom: crisp, nuanced, and driven by terroir rather than embellishment.

Tasting Notes
The 2024 bottling opens with invigorating aromas of white peach, pear skin, lemon zest, and green apple, underlined by impressions of crushed stone, alpine herbs, and subtle white flower tones. On the palate, the wine is both lithe and concentrated—silky in texture but lifted by an electric seam of acidity. Citrus—particularly Meyer lemon and grapefruit—drives the attack, followed by a gentle expansion into flavors of nectarine, fresh cream, and cool mineral notes reminiscent of chalk and wet limestone. The finish is long, stony, and quietly elegant, tapering off with a saline flicker and a final echo of orchard fruit. It’s an expressive, transparent Chardonnay that feels quintessentially Northern Italian in its restraint and clarity.

Food Pairing & Service
“Luna d’Agosto” is beautifully versatile and shines alongside dishes that emphasize freshness and delicate textures. Ideal pairings include crudo or simply grilled fish, risotto with spring vegetables, burrata with olive oil and basil, or a classic Piedmontese vitello tonnato. It also plays well with lightly creamy pastas, lemon-herb chicken, or soft cheeses like robiola, taleggio, or young chèvre. Serve chilled but not icy—around 48–50°F (9–10°C)—to allow its subtle fruit tones and mineral accents to fully express. The wine is delightful now for its crisp vitality but will continue to gain nuance over the next 2–3 years.