Barbera del Monferrato Frizzante Birbetta, lively and sparkling

Some time ago we visited the Piedmontese winery Ferraris, one of the leading wine producers of Ruché, whose Ruchè Opera Prima and Ruchè Clasic we have already reviewed. But a winery from Monferrato worth its salt cannot be without its own Barbera production, a grape variety that finds its ideal territory right in Monferrato. And it is the story of a very particular version of Barbera that we will be covering today.

We are in Castagnole Monferrato, in the hilly area located north-east of Asti. The estate, which now extends over 37 hectares and produces nearly 200,000 bottles, stands out for owning several cru – vineyards that, thanks to their particular exposures and the quality of the grapes they produce, give rise to wines of very high quality.

From the San Marcellino vineyard come the grapes used to produce Barbera Birbetta, a name that is certainly evocative of its defining characteristic: we are talking about a sparkling Barbera, as per the tradition of Monferrato. The vineyard, planted on clay-limestone and tuffaceous soil, sits at an altitude of 200 metres and enjoys an optimal south-west exposure. The training system is Guyot with a planting density of 5,000 vines per hectare.

Today we are increasingly accustomed to drinking structured, concentrated Barberas, aged in wooden containers and capable of aging for many years. But it was not always so: Barbera was a simple wine, ready to drink, fruity, and very often lively, slightly fizzy or even sparkling. Such is the case with Barbera Birbetta di Ferraris: in addition to being rooted in tradition, the most modern autoclave sparkling wine techniques are applied to produce this wine.

Let us look at how this Barbera is made. The wine is first fermented dry and subsequently, through the inoculation of sugars and yeasts, undergoes a second fermentation in an autoclave using the Charmat method. A month and a half after the resumption of natural fermentation, the wine is filtered, stabilised, and bottled using an isobaric system, giving the product its characteristic effervescence. The overpressure in the bottle is between 1.5 and 2 atmospheres.

2015 was a warm vintage that favoured significant alcohol levels in the wines of the area. In the case of Barbera Birbetta, the alcohol exceeds 13.5°. Let us now turn to describing the wine.

Barbera del Monferrato Frizzante Birbetta 2015

The wine presents a deep bluish colour with violet glints. When poured, it forms an abundant foam in the glass that disappears after a few seconds. The nose is characterised by delicate floral aromas, with rose and violet prominent. Then intense fruity notes of cherry and raspberry emerge, along with a vinous note typical of the winery during the alcoholic fermentation period. The palate is full, where a fine acidity reinforced by the effervescence is well balanced by the softness lent by a residual sugar of around 6 g/l. The effervescence completely cleanses the palate and promotes a good gustatory-olfactory persistence, leaving pleasant fruity impressions.

Barbera Frizzante Birbetta is an exemplary wine, very well made and conceived for everyday drinking, even throughout a meal. Yet, thanks to its palate-cleansing ability, it pairs perfectly with cured meats and cheeses that have not undergone particular curing or ageing. A wine to be served chilled, ideal for a warm summer.