2018-C Il Botolo Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Il Botolo is located on the hills of Nizza Monferrato, in the heart of Piedmont. Named ater the little dog who lives on the estate, the winery was founded in 2007 by Roberto de Silva, an entrepreneur from Monferrato who combined his dream to create quality wines with his love for the region and its culture. Together with his wife/winemaker Diana de Silva Bracco, the couple continues to manifest their commitment to excellence, producing wines from their fiteen hectares of vineyards in Colombaro and Le Coccole.
Barbera has been cultivated for over five hundred years, and is a leading grape variety in Piedmont, considered the “capital” of Barbera cultivation. In 2014 the vineyards of Monferrato became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We were so taken with Il Botolo’s 2016 Barbera Nizza, that we featured it last month as part of our Red Cellar Trio, and we jumped at the opportunity to share its “little sister” as one of our March Monthly Club selections.
This bottling is 100% Barbera from 25+ year-old vines. The clusters were hand-harvested and fermented entirely in stainless-steel tanks. The resulting wine was aged for 5 months in stainless-steel and an additional 2 months in bottle, resulting in an intensely aromatic, well-balanced and approachable medium-bodied red.
Ruby red with concentrated aromas of tart red fruit, dried herbs and a hint of licorice. The palate shows brandied cherries, sour blackberry fruit and garrigue. The finish is long and elegant with a touch of spice and nicely balanced tannins. If you are not familiar with Barbera this charming red is a fine introduction.