Posted By Joel on October 8, 2010

Cascina ‘Tavijn Barbera d’Asti 2006
Cascina ‘Tavijn Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato 2009
Cascina ‘Tavijn Grignolino d’Asti 2008

From the movie titled Good Will Hunting*:

Will: Beethoven, okay. He looked at a piano, and it just made sense to him. He could just play.
Skylar: So what are you saying? You play the piano?
Will: No, not a lick. I mean, I look at a piano, I see a bunch of keys, three pedals, and a box of wood. But Beethoven, Mozart, they saw it, they could just play.

Like Beethoven or Mozart, when it comes to producing wines that make real music, Nadia Verrua of Cascina ‘Tavijn can just play.

Located in Italy’s Piedmont, among the hills of Monferrato in the province of Asti, Cascina ‘Tavijn is a small, family run winery that is evolving a cultish following of wine lovers who appreciate Nadia’s work with indigenous varietals Barbera, Grignolino, and Ruché.

Owned and run by the Verrua family, with father Ottavio managing the vineyards and Nadia in the cellar, Cascina ‘Tavijn’s approach to wine focuses upon natural methods with a leaning toward to the organic.

The winemaking palette includes stainless steel, concrete, fiberglass and wood to ferment and age the wines. Cellar techniques are non-interventionist, with moderate maceration times, light filtrations, and only moderate dosing of metabisulfite. Use of selected yeasts in the cellar seems to be eschewed.

The Barbera, Ruché and Grignolino, made from 100% varietal, are massively drinkable, real wines for real enjoyment, expressive and of super quality, with lots of personality at table.

Cascina ‘Tavijn Barbera d’Asti 2006

Tasting Notes / Impressions:

Gemstone ruby color with streaks of amethyst. A vital, energetic nose of mixed berry fruit with hints of cola, medicinal herb, minerals. In the mouth, the fruit strikes a superb balance of tartness / ripeness, coming together w delicious acidity and pleasantly firm, though unimposing tannins. I find a synchronicity in the way the wine’s components coalesce, reminding me of how gears of a well-made clock work together to keep accurate time. Finishes long with delicious overtones of cherry.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

MEATS: roasted red meat & poultry; recommend roast beef, pork chops with apple & sage, herbed turkey; PASTA: pasta served with red sauces, try rigatoni with sausage or fettuccine with meatless ragu; POLENTA: served with “cacciatore” style chicken or rabbit; VEGETARIAN: Whole wheat fusilli or rigatoni with Swiss chard, carmelized onions, balsamic reduction; “Farro” spaghetti with walnut-mushroom cream sauce; CHARCUTERIE PLATE: assorted crackers, bread, cheeses, cured meats; CHEESES: Brie, Morbier, French Muenster, Gruyere, Gorgonzola Dolce, Toma, Bra, young Gouda

Feel like an eclectic night at table? Enjoy Casina ‘Tavijn’s Barbera d’Asti with Chinese double-cooked pork, or steamed rice with roast duck wrapped in lotus leaves.

Cascina ‘Tavijn Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato 2009

Tasting Notes / Impressions:

Ruby-velvet in the glass, magnificently perfumed with essence of wild berry and dried floral scents that, at times, modulate toward spice like cardamom and mace. The nose transfers to the palate, ushering in layers of flavor and inner mouth aromas including new berry, cherry, and plum. In the mouth, the wine is warm and smooth on the palate, underlined with well-balanced acidity and tannins. The wine communicates through depth of flavor an unbroken connection to the natural world, beyond language, closer, perhaps, to philosophy or spirit.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

MEATS: pan-fried breaded veal chops; roast beef; chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto, asparagus & chevre; STEWS: beef stew flavored with onion & diced pancetta; GRATIN/s: try potato / onion / gruyere gratin!; PASTA: ravioli with butter & sage sauce; “Farro” (emmer wheat) pasta with walnut pesto; tagliatelle with prosciutto and saffron cream sauce; RISOTTO: simple, creamy risotto with butter, mushroom & parmigiano cheese; VEGETARIAN: Penne with creamy Gorgonzola sauce, pinch of nutmeg; pumpkin ravioli with butter & sage sauce; do try the Gratin or “Farro” pasta mentioned above; CHEESES: Robiola, Raschera, milder Gorgonzola.

Something different, perhaps ? Cascina ‘Tavijn Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato is a super wine choice for Chinese dishes featuring braised meat or tofu served with silky sauces, creamy Indian plates or tandoor.

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Cascina ‘Tavijn Grignolino d’Asti 2008

Tasting Notes / Impressions:

Pretty pale rose color. On the nose, a commingle of cherry, berry and spice, hints of rain-soaked rose and orange blossom. Good transfer to a light, gorgeously dry, lively palate showing good grip. Finishes with a note of pleasantly bitter cherry-almond. A stunning, original artisan effort not to be missed.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

Meats: appetizer platter of cured meats & cheeses; pan cooked rabbit with Dijon mustard cream sauce; chicken breast served with chive cream sauce; Pasta: filled meat & cheese served with béchamel or light cream sauce; Vegetarian: ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach; fondue of Fontina cheese; egg omelette with asparagus and brie; baked tempeh with apple-mustard sauce; Cheeses: Robiolo, Raschera, Toma, Brie, St. André

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My thanks to Vittorio Rusinà, aka @tirebouchon on Twitter, for first bringing Cascina ‘Tavijn to my attention. I also thank Fabrizio Gallino, aka @enofaber, for his assistance.

* The Coffee Coaster, movie review of Good Will Hunting, here

Categories: $ (Under $25), Piedmont, Wine
Tags: Barbera, Grignolino, Ruchè