2019 Montaribaldi Barbera D' Alba Dü Gir

A Barbera as it should be. Not like the many everyday Barberas that are made in bulk and for which you have to pay way too much money, but a carefully made Barbera full of black fruit, wood, cocoa and a hint of vanilla. Simply GREAT. The Barbera d'Alba DOC Du Gir comes from Barebera vineyards located in the municipality of Alba at an altitude of 225 meters and the vineyards are more than 60 years old. The Barbera grapes should be harvested between the end of September and the first decade of October. The Du Gir vineyard is the last Barbera vineyard to be harvested. The stems are removed from the grapes after which the grapes are pressed. Soaking takes about ten days at a temperature of 30 to 32°C. The wine is aged in new oak wine barrels for 18 months (225 liter barrique). After very light filtering, the wine is finally bottled almost 2 years after the harvest, but then the Barbera d'Alba DOC Du Gir remains in the Montaribaldi cellars for at least 6 months before it is ready to be marketed. .

The Dü Gir vineyard is a very old vineyard that, as Luciano says, 'has already been through everything' and consistently produces top grapes year after year. The Dü Gir is without a doubt one of the most beautiful Barberas available and is a wine that ages fantastically. 10 years or more is no problem.

In the glass the wine is ruby red with a black-violet reflection. Very fruity, especially black forest fruits and plum jam emerge and are supplemented with a mix of cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa and tobacco. Full and round, with appropriately fresh acidity. This wine tastes delicious with pasta dishes, game (deer, roe), veal and pork, roasted or not, and with aged cheeses.

The 'azienda agricola Montaribaldi' is historically a family business, located in the middle of the Langhe hills in the small village of Barbaresco. Montaribaldi grapes grow among the vineyards of Angelo Gaja's famous winery. Not the least to have as neighbors. The owners of the Montaribaldi winery, the brothers Luciano and Roberto Taliano, are happy with their plots of land, which are spread in the Langhe and Monferrato hills. Wine has been made here for centuries and even UNESCO appreciates the interplay of man and nature by recently including this region in the prestigious World Heritage List. Although the Montaribaldi winery has been around for much longer, the brothers have not been in business for very long in wine terms, since 1994. But together with winemaker Carlo Arnulfo, they already make beautiful Piedmont wines with a great price/quality ratio.

The family makes some of the most famous wines from the Piedmont region: Barbaresco DOCG, Barolo DOCG, Barbera d'Alba DOC, Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Roero Arneis. They offer a complete range of wines, from grapes typical of this region. Typical of this winery is that the wines originate in Piedmont, are always recognizable as a 'Montaribaldi' wine and are grown and produced sustainably. As they call it: making 'vineyard wines' sets them apart from others. No chemistry box but a healthy vineyard makes the typical Montaribaldi Terroir wines.

The Barbera grape is known for its high acidity and used to be the wine of the people because of its large harvest and wide applicability. Times have changed and Barbera wines have made a major improvement in quality. This Barbera from Montaribaldi comes from older vines from the vineyard called Dü Gir. By maturing the wine in new wooden barrique barrels for a year, a beautiful balance is created between the typical fresh Barbera acids and round tannins of the oak. The Talianos then let the bottles rest in their cellar for another eight months before this wine goes on sale. You can taste the love for wine making and this quality makes the Barbera Dü Gir unbeatable, especially for this price.