Barbera del Monferrato
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Hill system between 150 and 400 m elevation, temperate to warm-temperate climate with approximately 1,800 degree-days and mean rainfall of 700 mm/year.
- Predominantly calcareous soils of medium depth, over calcareous-arenaceous-marly bedrock, within the Piedmontese Tertiary basin.
- Small areas of paleosols (terre rosse) with acidic reaction in the communes of Cassine, Mantovana, Quargnento, and Masio, excluded from the Barbera d'Asti appellation.
Human factors
- Monferrato tradition: a portion of the new wine was bottled during the March moon with residual sugars, refermented in bottle, and gave rise to the 'vivace' style.
Product characteristics
- 'Vivace' style from in-bottle refermentation: a Monferrato tradition of bottling with residual sugars during the March moon, creating a natural prise de mousse.
- Traditional blending with Freisa (Casale and Asti areas) or Dolcetto (Ovada area), a non-systematic practice that softens the pure varietal profile.
Terroir / wine link
- Calcareous soils over calcareous-arenaceous-marly bedrock, with areas of acidic-reaction paleosols (Cassine, Quargnento, Masio) excluded from the Barbera d'Asti appellation.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1071