Barbera D'Alba Sovrana, Beni di Batasiolo

Barbera D'Alba Sovrana from the winery Beni di Batasiolo from the Pimonte area in Italy.

Scent: Fresh scent of cherries and fresh red plums.
Taste: Harmonious with large ripe fruit and a long intense aftertaste.
Server for: Lovely companion to red meat, pasta dishes, risotto, veal, lamb and cheese.
Serving temperature: 18-20°C.

The Barbera D'Alba Sovrana grapes are harvested in the first half of October. The grapes are picked manually to keep the grapes intact until they reach the winery. The skins are soaked in the must for 10-15 days until it has achieved its ruby red colour. Fermentation takes place at a low, controlled temperature, which preserves the lovely fruit of the grapes in the finished wine.

When fermentation is over, the wine is aged for 12-15 months in small oak casks before bottling. This is thoroughly tasted and tested before the finished mixture, to ensure the best quality in the bottle.

The winery and producer:

Beni di Batasiolo harvests its grapes for Barbera d'Alba in the hilly countryside of the Barolo region, also known as the Langhe. The vineyards lie between 200-250 meters above sea level and are laid out on slopes that mostly face south.

The soil is composed of calcareous marl, lime and sand, a very well-drained and fertile growing place for the Barbera grape variety. In this area, the best soils are planted with Nebbiolo to Barolo, but the sides of the slopes and the cooler microclimates are planted with Barbera. The continental climate of Piedmont is tempered by air currents that enter through the Tanaro Valley, bringing slightly cooler summer temperatures and autumn mists that allow the grapes to ripen slowly. Barbera ripens relatively late, but still before Piedmont's great red wine grape, Nebbiolo.