As seen in The Guardian – an elegant and complex Barbera, flavours of fresh raspberry, cherry and vanilla

“This version of barbera, sourced from two south-facing vineyards, is so alluring, its deliciously tangy cherry and savoury notes taking you straight to the rolling hills around Alba.” – The Guardian

This delicious Barbera wine is made from 100% Barbera grapes grown in two cru vineyards: Fausoni and San Cristoforo, located west of the town of Neive.

Both vineyards are located on two steep hills facing South-East, a very favourable aspect that helps the grapes to ripen well. As a result, the wine is well-balanced and fresh, with elegant and pronounced aromas of fruits and spices.

The name of the wine, “The Patriarchs”, is dedicated to Alberto and Adriano Francone, who founded this award-winning winery seventy years ago.

Winemaking

The grapes are hand-harvested in early October, and fermented with traditional maceration for ten days. The wine is then matured for 12 months, partly in large French oak barrels that lend a subtle flavour, and partly in small barriques which impart more poignant flavours of vanilla and cinnamon.

Tasting notes

Medium ruby colour. Pronounced and complex aromas of raspberry, red cherry and strawberry, with delicate hints of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and leather. The wine is dry and full-bodied, with a pronounced flavour intensity, which balances the natural high acidity and freshness of the Barbera grape. Medium tannins are rounded through careful ageing. The wine has a long – and highly enjoyable – finish.

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 – Bronze Medal (2019 vintage) | The WineHunter – Rosso (2019 vintage) | I Vini Di Veronelli – 2 stars (2018 vintage) | Luca Maroni (Italian wine critic) – 94 points (2017), 92 points (2018)