Ampelographic characteristics
Barbera vines have medium-sized, pentagonal, pentalobed leaves that are dark green with green or pinkish veins and rich in tomentum (the down that covers the surface). Clusters are medium-sized, winged pyramidal or cylindrical and fairly compact. The berries-easily recognized at the end of ripening by their deep blue color-are medium, ellipsoidal, with a thin, pruinose skin and juicy, sweet but slightly acidic flesh.
Barbera Wines
Barbera, because of its pronounced acidity, has been underestimated for years. Today, with the evolution of cultivation and winemaking processes, it has been widely reappraised and we are seeing the production of excellent, elegant and structured wines.
Its grapes, used both in purity and in blends, are quite multifaceted and give rise to wines of different types: sparkling, novello, young and sparkling reds, medium-bodied still reds, and reds of medium longevity and great structure.
The young wines have a beautiful deep ruby red color that begins to turn to garnet hues in the more mature versions. The aromas are floral and fruity, with notes of cherry and red berries that evolve, with age, into more complex, spicy notes of black cherry and plum.
Wines made from Barbera, when young, have fine tannins that give a certain roundness; with aging these tannins become firmer, making Barbera denser and more structured.
Barbera in Italy
Barbera is a grape variety that changes in structure, taste and aromaticity depending on where it is grown. In Piedmont, a historic area for its cultivation, there are differences not only between Barbera del Monferrato, Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Alba but also within the same appellations.
Barbera del Monferrato
Of the three, Barbera del Monferrato is the most delicate and least structured. Deep ruby red, it has hints of rose, cherry and plum and a distinct acidity.
Barbera d’Asti
Barbera d’Asti is softer, more structured and has less acidity than the other two. The differences between subzones are appreciable: for example, in Costigliole and Nizza the wine is full-bodied, more savory and has more acidity while in Agliano, it is fine and fruity.
Barbera d’Alba
For Barbera d’Alba, a distinction is made between grapes harvested on the left and right of the Tanaro. Wines from the first area (Roero) are finer and more ready to drink. The aromas are complex, of currant, blackberry, rosehip, cherry, green pepper and vanilla. The taste is pleasantly fresh, slightly tannic and with good structure. In the second zone (Barolo), the wine, which requires longer aging to express itself, is full, dry and more structured.
Barbera grape variety
Moving on to Lombardy, Barbera is widely grown in Oltrepò Pavese, where it is used in the 85 percent proportion for the DOC Oltrepò Pavese Barbera, a lively or sparkling wine, ruby red with violet hues and a compact froth. Its aroma is fruity-with hints of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries-floral and winy. In the mouth it is fresh, lively, well-structured and quite persistent.
In Piacenza, Barbera is used not only for the DOC Colli Piacentini Barbera, but also in blends with Croatina for the production of Gutturnio, a wine that in its youth is fruity and ready-to-drink while with age it acquires more structure and more complex aromas. Finally, on the Parma and Bologna hills Barbera is used both for the production of pleasant, fresh and fragrant wines and for aged wines with more structure and complexity.