Cascina Lieto
Cascina Lieto was established in 2018 by Japanese Rie and Hiroto Sasaki, who live in the hills of Castiglione Tinella between Asti and Langhe. Hiroto has a long history in the wine business and has lived in Italy since 1997 – first in Rome until 2016 and since in Piedmont.
The couple has bought an old winery that mainly has Moscato vines growing in the vineyards. The entire production is microscopic and in Rie and Hiroto’s first vintage 2018, a total of only 600 bottles were produced. In addition to their own vineyards – which do not amount to more than about a single hectare – they rent a few vineyards in Madonna di Como a little south of Castiglione Tinella, where they grow Freisa, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Cortese. The dream is to produce up to 10,000 bottles, but it will take time and more space in the cellar before they reach that goal.
All wines age a minimum of two years in the bottle before being released, and Hiroto strives to harvest perfectly ripe grapes with just the right amount of acidity. Cascina Lieto makes piedmontese wine like no one else. They are extremely serious with a deep aromatic complexity and an enormous drinkability despite their high concentration.
