50 VIGNE VECCHIE Barbera d’Asti DOCG 2021

"50 Vigne Vecchie" Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2021 / Vinchio Vaglio / Piedmont

Red wine from Italy

The Vinchio Vaglio winegrowers' cooperative was founded in 1959 by 19 winegrowers and is based in the picturesque village of Vinchio between the famous towns of Asti and Alba in Piedmont in northern Italy. Located between the foothills of the Alps and the Apennines, Piedmont is one of the most important wine-growing regions in the world. The story of the winery is a love story in which the inhabitants of the villages of Vinchio and Vaglio Serra have transformed a difficult and barren land into a wine-growing paradise. The mostly steep slopes make maintenance extremely difficult but ensure perfect exposure to the sun. These optimal conditions contribute to the high sugar content of the grapes, which, together with the mineral composition of the soil, determines the unique character of top wines.

The Barbera is a characterful and high-quality red grape variety from Piedmont, which is not particularly well known in the rest of Europe. Nevertheless, it is one of the most important, oldest, and most common Italian grape varieties. Sources report on Barbera as early as the 13th century and refer to the Monferrato growing region, which is still known today. Very old Barbera vineyards, planted before the Second World War, are in the Vinchio Vaglio winery's sphere of activity. They are vineyards with a very narrow layout, with very steep slopes and an exceptional exposure. The grapes of the "Vigne Vecchie" are by far the sugariest and maintain a high level of quality even in the less favorable years.

The grapes for the 50 Vigne Vecchie Barbera d'Asti from Vinchio Vaglio thrive with the help of the Guyot vine training system at an average altitude of 250m above sea level on loamy sandy soil. Long before the harvest, the approximately 50-year-old vines are constantly thinned out and carefully selected. The manual harvest then takes place in the morning hours of the third decade of September and the grapes are immediately transported to the winery to keep them in optimal conditions for the beginning of the winemaking process. After destemming and pressing of the grapes, the must is transferred to horizontal vats at a controlled temperature. In order to optimally extract the aromas coming from the vine and the polyphenolic substances present in the skins, the alcoholic fermentation with maceration lasts about 9 days at an initial temperature of 24°C that gradually reaches 28°C. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation begins immediately in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 18ºC. At the end of this phase, the wine rests in stainless steel and concrete tanks for about 16 months. Before it is released, this Barbera is aged in its bottle for six months.

The "50 Vigne Vecchie" line was created to celebrate the winery's 50th anniversary. The aim was to celebrate Vinchio Vaglio with a fresh and cheerful wine that, without passage in the wood, aims to preserve the phenomenal quality of the grapes from the traditional "old vines". The result is a Barbera d'Asti "as it once was", with pronounced freshness, excellent body, great structure, and a characteristic fruity note. With its ruby red colour, aromas of ripe black fruits such as blackberries are immediately noticeable on the nose. The olfactory body then consists of caramelized notes of terracotta, black cherry, and cherry. The taste of the "50 Vigne Vecchie" Barbera d'Asti DOC 2020 from Vinchio Vaglio is dry, fresh, elegant, and excellently structured.

At an optimal drinking temperature of around 18°C, this Barbera is recommended as an accompaniment to pasta with meat or mushroom sauces, red and white meat and medium-aged cheeses. Top with the wonderful Piedmontese specialty bagna cauda and blue cheese.

General properties

• Vintage: 2021
• Ageing: Dry
• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont
• Volume: 0.75 litres

Detailed properties

• Producer and bottler: Vinchio Vaglio - Regione San Pancrazio 1 - 14040 Vinchio (AT) - Italia - +39 0141 950903
• Quality Designation: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
• Grape variety: 100% Barbera from very old vines.
• Winemaking: Manual harvest in the third decade of September. Alcoholic fermentation with maceration for 9 days. Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 18°C. Expansion for about 16 months in stainless steel and concrete tanks. Final six months bottle aging.
  
• Sensory characteristics: Bouquet of ripe black fruit with notes of terracotta, black cherry, and cherry. Dry, fresh, elegant, and excellently structured on the palate.
  
• Colour: Ruby red with violet reflections.
  
• Alcohol content: 14.5 % Vol.
• Stopper: Natural cork
• Serving recommendation: It goes well with pasta dishes with meat or mushroom sauces, red and white meat main courses (braised or roasted). Also, very good with blue cheese and other well-seasoned and/or spicy cheeses.
  
• Recommended serving temperature: About 18°C.
  
• Allergens: Contains sulfites
• Awards: Bibenda 2023: 4 GRAPE BUNCH; Luca Maroni 2023: 91 POINTS; Vini Buoni d’Italia 2023: 4 STARS; James Suckling 2022: 90 POINTS; Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge 2022: DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL; Il Vino per Tutti 2022: 91 POINTS; Vininvilla 2022: AWARD; The Wine Hunter 2022: RED; Decanter – World Wine Awards 2022: SILVER; falstaff: BARBERA TROPHY 2022; Guida Oro Vini di Veronelli 2022: 90 POINTS.
  
• EAN (bottle): 8030227005924
• Scope of supply: 1 bottle of wine 0.75 litres

Grape variety

BARBERA

BARBERA is a red grape variety from Piedmont in northwestern Italy and a high quality grape. It is one of the most important and common Italian varietals. The Barbera was already famous in the 13th century. Even then, the still significant growing region Monferrato was famous for this variety. The wines are considered powerful, with pronounced plum flavors, low tannin with full "body" and a deep-ruby color.

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