Noah

The past decade has witnessed a massive influx of interest in the Alto Piemonte, as a younger generation whose forebears may have fled the area for big-city comforts came to realize the specialness of what was left behind, and have dedicated themselves to reestablishing the Alto Piemonte's former viticultural glory. While that goal is still far beyond the horizon, the sense of energy and excitement here today is palpable, and recent investments in the area by notables in the Langhe and beyond suggest that this momentum will only increase over time.

At the forefront of this movement is Andrea Mosca, who abandoned his career as an architect nine years ago and acquired three hectares of vines in and around the village of Brusnengo, in the heart of the Bramaterra appellation. Christening his project NOAH, after his then-newborn son Francesco Noah, Andrea quickly set to producing thrillingly pure wines beginning with the 2011 vintage, and we have been by his side since the outset. Bramaterra-a portmanteau of bramare ("to long for") and terra ("the land")-is certainly a fitting home base nomenclature-wise for one who changed careers in the manner of Andrea, and he has since acquired a hectare and a half in the neighboring appellation of Lessona as well. It has been a thrill to witness Andrea's evolution, and today, with nine harvests under his belt, he exudes the quiet confidence of a skilled winegrower-one who is always seeking to coax further expressiveness from the land to which he returned.