Bera Vittorio e Figli 'Ronco Malo' 2017

Producer: Bera Vittorio e Figli

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Barbera

Vintage: 2017

Size: 750ml

Color: Red

Notes: "100% Barbera. Though the calling card of Bera is their Moscato d'Asti, they grow Barbera on the calcareous clay soils on the slopes of their certified-organic estate in the Canelli hills of Piedmont. Ronco di Malo is the parcel of the oldest Barbera vines, which average 50 years (formerly a much higher number but the the 80-year-old vines had to be replaced not long ago due to flavescenza dorata). The fruit is hand-harvested at a very high ripeness level; it is destemmed and gently crushed, then fermented spontaneously with indigneous yeasts in concrete tank, without the addition of sulfur. Maceration is lengthy, lasting up to a month. The wine is aged entirely in concrete tank for two and a half years on its lees for 18-24 months without racking (in order to develop complexity and to reduce the need for sulfur). It is bottled unfiltered with a mere 1 g/liter of sulfur." -David Bowler