Barbera d'Alba Pio Cesrae 2018

Barbera d'Alba

Barbera d'Alba is a key wine appellation of Piedmont, in northwest Italy, famed for its tangy, black cherry-like red wines made from Barbera grapes. The Alba viticultural area covers both the town of Alba and the surrounding Langhe hills, and overlaps with those of Piedmont's two most famous red wines – Barolo and Barbaresco.

Barbera vines thrive in the chalky, limestone-rich clay soils here. The best Barbera d'Alba wines are sourced from hillside vineyard sites close to Barolo. Barbera d'Alba wines are generally esteemed for their deep color, low tannins and high levels of acidity which make them of an amazingly drinkability. When young they offer fresh flavors of cherries, blueberries and raspberries. The most powerful example can be relatively rich, bold and flavourful, retaining the typical fruit forwardness. Interesting how there is a distinct difference between Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d’Asti – its counterpart from the neighboring Asti province.

For a wine to be legally labeled as Barbera d'Alba, it must be made from at least 85% Barbera grapes. The other 15 percent may be made up of Piedmont's noblest wine grape. The designation Barbera d'Alba Superiore may be added to labels if the wine is aged for 12 months prior to commercial release, of which at least 4 months must be spend in oak barrels.