La Barbera’s heritage and excellence as Barbera d’Asti
The territory of Asti and Monferrato: The hills, symbol of wine-growing excellence and a UNESCO heritage
By Michael Godel
This feature was commissioned by Consorzio Barbera D’Asti e Vini del Monferrato.
The consortium for Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato Wines has been the voice of these Piedmontese hills and its grape realities for more than 70 years. “There are many wine souls that find expression in Monferrato,” says consortium president Vitaliano Maccario, “and the consortium has had the objective, since its inception, precisely to act as a bond to keep these multiplicities united, to promote the entire territory and its excellence in a unitary and uniform way.”
The aim has been consistent: to safeguard the genuineness and diffusion of these products on national and international markets, through the use of special distinctive brands. The barbera wines from Asti are unique and they are different. Unlike their counterparts from Alba, they are not diffused by the nebbiolo grown in the Langhe, of Roero, Barbaresco and Barolo. The wines raised in the Monferrato hills are the stars they strive to be, and man do they ever shine. Taste through a good number of them in 2024 and you will note the highest quality across the board, with an unlimited ceiling of potential laid out ahead.
Barbera d’Asti ad Nizza DOCGs
As professionals and as consumers we search the world’s most famous regions for the most profound and moving wines, but somehow get caught up by a mix of pedigree and marketing — so often not truly making the most important connections. We are bought and sold, invested in the attractive and oft times the austere. Beauty is everywhere and sometimes right under our noses, yet are we not blinded or at the very least distracted by confidence and power? These thoughts can be applied to many things but as it pertains to wine there is a clear message. Open your heart, mind and palate to seek what others pass over, to experience what is real.
Barbera grapes
La Barbera
UNESCO World Heritage
It is undoubtedly in Piedmont where the barbera grape performs best. To put barbera’s popularity in perspective, consider that 33% of Piedmont’s 45,000 hectares under vine are planted to barbera. Try throwing this statistic in the face of Monferrato, Nizza Monferrato and so many other Asti barbera growers. So the question begs as to why so many DOCs exist in such a close proximate place? The answer is quite simple. I am “insert commune name here” and I am this DOC, around my village, with my own very special terroir. Yours may only be five kilometres away from me but I am special, and my land and grapes are not like yours. It must be noted that in Piemonte there are as many native grapes as there are in all of France. Yet in the face of all this varietal noise there is one grape variety that garners the most attention. La Barbera, as it is affectionately known.
The Piedmont, or Piemonte, region is second in Italy at 60% for wine exports, 17 % of all Italian wine exports and home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in six areas including the Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, Hills of Barbaresco, Canelli and Asti Spumante, Monferrato of the Infernot and, most recently, Nizza Monferrato and Barbera. In 2014, it was announced that the vineyard landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato became Piedmont’s fifth UNESCO World Heritage Site. “An unparalleled territory and an essential reference point for wine production,” is how Maccario described the region. Further: “The unparalleled beauty of our territories is evident here. And UNESCO’s recognition is undoubtedly an important added value that has allowed us, in recent years, to further spread the knowledge of our wines worldwide. However, it is essential to remember that such uniqueness is possible only through constant cooperation between man and nature. It is the result of the work of hundreds of years carried out by our men and women who have been able to preserve, but also interpret according to the times, the winemaking tradition, respecting history and landscape.”
Costigiole d’Asti
There are four DOCGs to exult the variety: Barbera d’Asti, Nizza, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato e Terre Alfieri. There are 10 adjacent DOCs. Barbera ripens after dolcetto and before nebbiolo, is marked by high acidity and low tannins and is extremely rich in anthocyanin (up there with syrah and cabernet sauvignon). Its physiology equips the grape with more colour and less tannin than dolcetto, grignolino and nebbiolo. Its vigour and generosity must be controlled and contained. The most successful grower sets out to seek low yields, which is done by crop thinning and green harvesting — these methods persist to this day as the number one control. Acidity is the key to barbera, as it is with grapes of a similar ilk, such as sangiovese and malbec. If you would like to capture the essence of these grape varieties you have to preserve and elevate their natural acidities and you have to do so with a supporting cast of freshness, ripeness and structure.
Pliocene Asti sands
Soils, climate and essential excerpts of history
Il Bacino Teriario Ligure-Piemontese (BTP) fixes the soils left behind by an ancient retreating sea, girding two main matrices of geology. One being the older Miocene, white soils of marl and calcari composition; and the younger part being the Pliocene, Asti sands, marine sedimentary, the beach so to speak of that ancient sea. These are the steep slopes in the Asti-Monferrato area, not unlike Roero in the Langhe and the Serravalian for Barolo. Rainfall is 700–800 millimetres a year, with hot summers (often upwards of 35°C) and cold winters (down to –15). No irrigation is allowed — not even in emergency situations (and 2020 and 2022 were the hottest recent vintages).
The first mention of barbera was in 1514 and, in 1609, Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Montava, sent his charges to purchase the famous barbera. In 1819, Filippo Asinari di San Marzano took barbera around the world, which subsequently led to producers shipping their wines abroad. Phylloxera struck in 1886.
The ancient ocean’s beach and marine sediments.
The Consortium
The year was 1970 when the DOC Barbera d’Asti came to be, 2008 for the DOCG (Nizza, Tinella and Colli Astiani) and 2016 for Nizza DOCG (encompassing 18 municipalities). The consortium for Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines was founded in 1946 with distinctive labelling and, while only seven members were originally on board, today more than 200 band together for the good of the grape and, especially, the agricultural practices of the territory. Barbera d’Asti is a DOCG with upwards of 3,900 hectares under vine and more than 400 associate producers, 30 of which are cooperatives. The wines can be made in stainless steel or receive oak aging, while the bigger Barbera d’Asti Superiore is made from selected grapes required by DOCG law to be aged for at least six months in wood. The Barbera d’Asti Superiore and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCGs were awarded in 2008, and both have maximum yield allowances of nine tonnes per hectare, but Monferrato’s minimum alcohol requirement is half a point higher at 13% by volume. The Vigna (single-vineyard) Monferrato yields are lower, at eight tonnes per hectare. Aging for both is 14 months from November 1 the year after harvest. In Monferrato 85% of the grapes vinified must be barbera with the remainder allowing dolcetto, grigolino and freisa. Barbera d’Asti Superiore requires 90% barbera.
Nizza-Monferrato
Buyers’ Guide to Barbera d’Asti
The WineAlign critics recently sat down to assess a good number of Barbera d’Asti wines and it turned out to not only be one of the best tasting days of 2024, but it was also downright fascinating to work through the differences of approach and result. These are our findings and recommendations. Unless indicated, the wines below are available directly through the agent listed.
Bersano Barbera d’Asti DOCG Costalunga 2021
$16.35, Profile Wine Group (Barrique) – Available at the LCBO
John Szabo – Barbera at its simplest best, representing the grape’s vocation for making an easy-drinking carafe red to slake the thirst of tavern-goers. It’s the sort of wine to chill and crack mid-week, or whenever.
Michael Godel – Entry-level barbera from Monferrato’s Bersano drawn from more than a few of their farmsteads. As accessible, credible, enjoyable and affordable as they come.
Vite Colte Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG La Luna E I Falò 2021
$24.95, Dionysus Wines – Limited quantities available at the LCBO
David Lawrason – This a bright, youthful, juicy and agreeable barbera, which fits my idea of what this grape does best. It is medium weight, open knit and well balanced, with easy tannin and warmth. The length is very good. Chill it down a notch. A great everyday pasta and pizza red.
John Szabo – La Luna e I Falò — “the Moon and the Bonfires” — is the title of mid-twentieth century Italian author Cesare Pavese’s last and arguably greatest novel, set in the hills of Piedmont near to where this wine is grown. This wine may not be as complex as the Pavese masterpiece, but it welcomes you with open arms and sets the stage for an evening of reading and sipping.
Michael Godel – Signature barbera with contributions from 44 Asti-Monferrato growers. Biggest expression from a considerably warmer vintage, full extract and maceration with aromatic perfume off the proverbial charts.
Tenuta Garetto Barbera d’Asti DOCG Rosina 2021
$26.18, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
Michael Godel – The juiciest of barbera and so perfectly befitting of Asti because acidity exists at the height of sweet heights while alcohol remains quite tame. Good crisp bites, aromatic as needed and crunchy from the word go. Classic Piedmontese food matcher waiting for traditional cuisine. Bollito misto, please and thank you.
Olim Bauda Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Le Rocchette 2020
$27.20, Buyers Cellars Wine Purveyors
David Lawrason – This is a very lively, almost exuberant yet well-balanced barbera with some sense of class. The nose is fairly generous with ripe raspberry/bitter chokecherry jam fruit, botanicals, tobacco and cedary spice. It is medium weight, lively yet fairly dense and serious at the same time.
Michael Godel – There is nothing little or light about this barbera, which clocks in at 15.5% alcohol while magically hiding every volumetric ounce. Acidity is more than special, and the wine literally crunches between your teeth. Flavour compounds run amok and explode upon the palate.
Molino Barbera d’Asti DOCG Loreto 2022
$28.43, Cru Wine Merchants
John Szabo – From Macedonia, better known for its xinomavro, this showstopping assyrtiko is plush and ample, all the while with a nervy core of acidity. Lofty lees, chalky and bright with sea salt and rosebud that permeate the finish of excellent length. I’m hooked.
Michael Godel – Higher in extract and concentration than many barbera of Asti ilk but also more modern, up front and put forth for immediate gratification. Not a particularly structured one, nor is there any real austerity or tension involved.
Cascina Barisél Barbera d’Asti DOCG 2023
$29.95, WILCO FINE BEVERAGE
Michael Godel – Juicy for a seemingly lesser to almost undetectably oaked iteration of barbera, though there are some drying moments in its tannin. Gets the memo on how to employ aromatic fruit, high acidity and extract to create that Asti buzz, though there is a missing element that should tie it all seamlessly together. Something in the vein of generosity.
Cascina Castlet Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Litina 2020
$30.68, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
Michael Godel – Always an austere and tense step up from the normale Barbera d’Asti with no compromise to acidity nor the expected introductory fragrance. Firmer than the approaching 2021 while persistently stylish barbera and that omnipresence of cherry stone bitterness, minerals and elements that occur because of the sand, clay and limestone earth from where it comes.
Cascina Gilli Barbera d’Asti DOCG Le More 2021
$43.00, Con-nois-seur Imports.
David Lawrason – This is a single vineyard wine from a calcareous, south facing site. There is no oak involved here, giving full rein to very ripe raspberry/blackberry fruit that is almost overripe. It is set amid classic barbera botanicals and fennel. Intense and large wine that works well.
Michael Godel – Serious elevation which breathes light and life into the grape for a place where there is little in common with the varietal home island of Santorini. Kir-Yanni’s is clean, crisp, holding some botanical cards and only positive experiences ahead.
La Vedetta Barbera d’Asti DOCG Sarasino 2019
$63.42, Con-nois-seur Wine Imports Inc
Michael Godel – Barbaresco village’s La Vedetta introduces barbera in a most nebbiolo way and the explanation is firstly origin but also firm routine and steading of winemaking practices. Style is consistent with the producer’s nebbiolo of Langhe and Barbaresco. More in line with the Langhe, light, airy, fine-grained and also edgy.
Vietti Barbera d’Asti DOCG La Crena 2021
$87.20, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
David Lawrason – This is a serious, very expensive barbera, but does barbera need to be serious? There is a sense of sophistication, elegance and depth that is beyond the norm. Yet there is still a good sense of barbera’s innate energy and exuberance, but just tamed a bit. Very focused with excellent to outstanding length.
Michael Godel – The concentration is as impressive as any from this province and denomination, fully capturing and encapsulating vintage, stylistic and place. Smooth as they come yet the underlying tension is felt, properly feared and, as a result, wonderment ensues. Already a gorgeous wine, yet with aging potential as unlimited as it will seemingly get for Asti.
Il Botolo Azienda Agricola Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG 2017
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Michael Godel – Family-owned boutique estate winery, founded in 2007 by Roberto de Silva, the work carried on by his wife Diana de Silva Bracco. Farming of 15 hectares in Colombaro and Le Coccole, tiny production in eight skus, less than two hectares per label. A maturing barbera from the warm 2017 season though sweetness of acidity is welcomingly persistent. The mid-palate has become creamy, the flavours remind of black cherry gelato and yet the dry meeting austere tannins, while now resolved are what have driven this barbera towards today.
A few Barbera d’Asti tasted in Piemonte, September 2023 (currently not represented in Ontario.)
Castello Gabiano Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Adornes 2015
Michael Godel – The only varietal barbera in the extensive Gabiano catalogue comes from hillsides abutting the Monferrato hills and sees 18 months aging in tonneaux. Nearly eight years of age, persistently grippy, powerful and austere. Just now showing some signs of settling and preparing to reside in that proverbial best drinking window. Sharp tang, intensity and limestone strike from soil through vine, grapes and especially aboard the sides of the palate. Wild ride in barbera, so very different than Nizza-Monferrato and clearly capable of aging for several years, potentially for a decade and a half from vintage, perhaps even more.
Vinchio Vaglio Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Sei Vigne Insynthesis 2016
Michael Godel – The name refers to synthesizing six special vineyards. First vintage was 2011, only made in the best vintages, previously produced in 2015 and 2011. Refinement in new barrel for 12 months. The flagship wine for the cooperative Vinchio Vaglio and what is considered the “best selection.” A super barbera and a wine that is intended to compete with the best red wines of the Langhe. Yes, the quality of this vintage’s fruit is high and the dominant wood notes usher that fruit straight along. Old school big wine, something from the 90s in style that for some parts of Italy are just so consistent in their commitment to perpetuating the style.
Tenuta Santa Caterina Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Vignalina 2020
Michael Godel – One of two single vineyard barbera made at Tenuta Santa Caterina from what might be described as a manageable vintage though as it must, barbera hits 15% alcohol. All the notes follow dutifully along, and the result is really fine wine. Hard not to see this as the most complete red wine in the Tenuta Santa Caterina portfolio because of its suave, silky and luxe style. Tons of fruit, wood that is in the background and very good winemaking does well to tie it all together. True terroir barbera, not messed with or made up in the cellar, honest and fine.
Good to go!
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This feature was commissioned by Consorzio Barbera D’Asti e Vini del Monferrato. As a regular feature, WineAlign tastes wines submitted by a single winery, agent or region. Our writers independently, as always, taste, review and rate the wines — good, bad and indifferent, and those reviews are posted on WineAlign. We then independently recommend wines to appear in the article. Wineries, wine agents, or regions pay for this service. Ads for some wines may appear at the same time, but the decision on which wines to put forward in our report, and its content, is entirely up to WineAlign.