Barbera wine: 6 tastings Vinchio Vaglio

Before telling you about the barbera wine which I tasted today at Vinchio Vaglio I want to pay a compliment. I am in the station at Torino Porta Nuova waiting for my Frecciarossa train to Brescia and I am pleasantly impressed by this station that is so people-friendly. Very clean toilets (and incredibly well equipped with every comfort you could wish for in a bathroom) that you can access either by paying or by presenting a bar tab, lots of modern seating areas that also have USB ports and charging sockets, display boards that you can see from the comfort of your seat... and all of this less than a minute from the platforms. Incredible, incredible... but why don't other cities learn from Turin? Why is sitting or charging your mobile phone/iPad/computer in the station impossible in other cities?

After this short introduction, I am happy to share with you the tastings we did today of Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG e Barbera Nizza DOCG Reserve. In my next article I will tell you about the complete experience of my stay between Asti and Nizza Monferrato. I will only tell you in advance that it was such a pleasant stay that we have already proposed to return in a few months... after all Tessa Donnadieu, the export manager of Vinchio Vaglio who accompanied us, is a truly exquisite person and Maddalena Mazzeschi, the Vinchio Vaglio press agency is a great professional capable of bringing like-minded people together. In fact, I have met in person Luca Matarazzo of Vino Da Bere e Luca Grippo (formerly Bibenda, now has a really nice instagram profile that I recommend you follow!) and I had a great time with them!

Barbera Vinchio Vaglio wine: cellar tasting 8 July 2022

In 1959, the Cooperativa di Viticoltori Associati di Vinchio e di Vaglio Serra was established with the aim of relaunching the Barbera grape variety by producing wines that are good for those who drink them and sustainable for those who produce them. There are in fact 197 associates who manage about 500 hectares of vineyards, of which more than 350 hectares are cultivated with barbera grapes in these splendid UNESCO heritage hills. Just a few days ago Vinchio Vaglio was awarded as the fourth best cooperative in Italy by Weinwirschaft... a very well-deserved award, as I found in it that quality only found in the South Tyrolean wine cellars of St. Micheal Eppan and Tramin.

Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2020 wine, Vinchio Vaglio

It is transparent ruby red with violet hues and quite consistent. Swirling the glass allows me to catch a glimpse of carbon dioxide. The nose is very very characteristic and the typical features of the grape variety are predominant. Delicate notes of cherry, rose and wild strawberry. In the mouth it is soft, light-bodied and pleasant overall, but it has that slight carbonicity that keeps it from being a wine for me.

Wine Barbera d'Asti DOCG Superiore 2019, Vinchio Vaglio

It is transparent ruby red, consistent. The nose is completely different from the previous one, much more elegant. Delicate and characteristic, the fruit aromas are fresher and enriched with notes of black pepper, liquorice, flowers and blood orange. In the mouth it is quite soft, fresh, quite savoury, warm, quite tannic, overall shifted to hard and medium-bodied sensations. Good drinkability and great ability to cleanse the mouth so it is perfect in combination with Piedmontese fritto misto. A great wine, although certainly not in its best vintage expression.

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Wine Barbera d'Asti DOCG Vigne Vecchie 50 2020, Vinchio Vaglio

It is transparent ruby red with violet reflections, consistent. The nose is very pleasant, fine and elegant with spicy notes mingling with the characteristic fruity notes of the variety and a menthol note.  In the mouth, it is still very hard and has tannins that have yet to round off, confirming this wine's great capacity for evolution in the bottle. Savouriness, structure and a mouth-watering aftertaste of fresh cherries that lingers for a long time. A wine that I enjoyed very much and with great potential. I recommend it to a non-expert audience of red barbera wine who wants to understand what a traditional Barbera from the territory should look like done properly.

Barbera Laudana Nizza DOCG 2019 wine, Vinchio Vaglio

It has a deep ruby red colour, barely semi-transparent, consistent. The nose is delicate and elegant with notes of black cherry under spirits, cocoa, very roasted coffee powder, plum, black mulberry. In the mouth it has enormous acidity, good structure and great savouriness that overshadow softness and warmth. This also has good potential for evolution in the bottle as it still needs at least a year to be ready to drink and with 2-3 years it will reach its maximum expression. Persistent coffee flavour.

Barbera d'Asti DOCG Superiore Vigne Vecchie 2017 wine, Vinchio Vaglio

It is almost impenetrable ruby red, very consistent. The nose is delicate and elegant with notes of sweet spices such as cinnamon, milk chocolate, violets, morello cherry, sweet coffee and undergrowth. In the mouth it is soft, but also very fresh and with tannins that still need to round out. Very savoury and structured, the wood is distinctly noticeable. Persistent finish of woody notes. For me, this Barbera red wine was one of the two highlights of the tasting.

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Barbera d'Asti DOCG Superiore Six Vineyards Insynthesis 2016 wine, Vinchio Vaglio

It is almost impenetrable ruby red, very consistent. The nose is very opulent and intense with notes of chocolate, black pepper, liquorice, rhubarb, ink and black mulberry jam. In the mouth it is very fresh and the liquorice scent becomes dominant and lasts for a long time. Structured, savoury, quite soft and with a long potential for bottle ageing even if it is already enjoyable now. Definitely my favourite wine of the battery... and you'll see what goodies I'll have you discover in my next article!

Thanks to the President of Vinchio Vaglio Lorenzo Giordano and to everyone who attended the tasting. And kudos for the attention to detail, from the bag to the press kit to the pen, all in a beautiful and elegant shade of grey.

Cheers 🍷

Chiara