Barbera d'Alba DOC 2022

Dark in both color and aroma, yet slender in build: this Barbera thrives on juiciness, high acidity and a transparency that lets the dark fruit shine through. Dense, but not heavy.

The grapes come from the Altavilla vineyard on the hills above the town of Alba, from vines between forty and eighty years old. Olek Bondonio farms seven hectares from Cascina La Berchialla in Barbaresco; his great-great-great-grandfather was among the co-founders of the Produttori del Barbaresco in 1894. Biodynamic principles guide daily life in the vineyards, without being made into a talking point.

Pure Barbera, fermented for a month on the skins in stainless steel, then gently pressed in a basket press; malolactic fermentation also finished in steel. This is followed by eight to ten months in 1,600-litre botti, filled by gravity, unfiltered and unfined, with at most 10 to 20 mg/l sulphur. 14.0% vol., dry.

On the nose, blood plums, blackberries and elderberries, along with fennel seed, lemon balm, a touch of undergrowth and a slightly yeasty note. On the palate, the dark fruit returns, joined by tart dark cherries: plenty of acidity, slender tannin, a very light extract sweetness, good length and an effortless drinkability.

Bondonio, a former professional snowboarder, runs a family estate over 200 years old with no website and no tasting room; seven hectares yield only limited quantities. In this cellar, Barbera is no supporting act — it shows just how much energy the variety can deliver.