Barbera d’Asti DOCG „La Crena“ 2019

This Barbera comes from the La Crena vineyard in Agliano Terme. Barbera d'Asti is classified as DOCG and protected as an origin, but allows the additional entry of single vineyard sites. The almost eight hectares are exposed to the south. The oldest vines in this parcel date back to 1932! The subsoil is mainly limestone marl.

The harvest took place between 30 September and 3 October 2019. After the harvest, the grapes are gently destemmed and cold macerated in open stainless steel fermentation vats for two days.

The alcoholic fermentation lasts about two weeks, during which the must is regularly pumped over to optimally extract the colour and tannins. This is followed by transfer to small oak barrels of French origin. 25% is the proportion of new barrels. Smaller batches also lie in larger wooden barrels. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in wood, as well as subsequent ageing for 18 months. Before bottling, the Barbera d'Asti La Crena is neither fined nor filtered.

Dense purple, violet reflections, dark core

Intense dark fruits and abundant balsamic to ethereal nuances flow from the glass. Sweet cherries dominate the picture alongside blackberries and plums. A hint of sloe and mulberry complement alongside elderberry. It has strong notes of graphite that give it finesse and elegance. Juniper, cubeb pepper as well as clove and star anise set off loud scent marks. Fennel, coriander seed and aniseed also strike out in this ethereal direction. Earthy beetroot complements wonderfully with dark chocolate and a little roasted coffee. Warm leather rounds it off successfully.

On the palate, it comes across as enormously juicy and with a lot of draw. This Barbera has both bloody and meaty attributes. It has a lot of finesse and cool elements. Its bloody character is pleasantly rusty and demanding to drying. The fruit is lush and fleshy in contrast. It shows a lot of mineral components and is blessed with a racy acid structure. Typical Barbera! Its dark, spicy aromas come to the fore on the palate and in the finish. The fruit is a little veiled, which I find very pleasant. In the finish, cherry, pepper and juniper are most dominant.