Braida Montebruna Barbera 2012

Description

“If anyone put Barbera on the map as a potentially great wine-grape it was the late Giacomo Bologna of Braida ” Nicolas Belfrage – ‘Barolo To Valpolicella The Wines Of Northern Italy’. 
Giuseppe Bologna was a wheelwright by trade and owned a large Barbera vineyard at Rocchetta Tanaro and made a little wine for himself and his friends.  Giuseppe’s son Giacomo inherited the vineyard and named the vineyard after his father’s nickname, Braida (because of his passion for Stretch ball popular piedmontese ball game)  In 1982, after a study tour of Californian wineries, Giacomo drastically decreased his harvests with pruning and began to mature wine in small barrels barriques rather than large oak casks “ botti”.  This produced stunning Barbera with more complex and elegant structure, beautiful acids and lower levels of tannins.  Giacomo Bologna’s love of the land, wine and life produced a superb Barbera  (previously used for cheap local wine)  which  catapulted it into the arena of great wines known all over the world.  He was determined he would use it to create wines as subtle and complex as the best pinot noir and nebbiolo and succeeded.  Now Braida wines such as the Bricco dell’Uccellone and Ai Suma are renowned for their extraordinary elegance and longevity.
In 1990, after Giacomo’s premature death, his wife Anna carried on the projects she had created with him.  Nowadays, their daughter Raffaella manages sales, while their son Giuseppe (Beppe) is in charge of growing and production.  The Braida winery is truly a family affair and wine is the family’s life.  The production of superb wine is far more important than exponential growth.  The family works enthusiastically for wine, its culture and the land on which it grows.
Rocchetta Tanaro is a small town of around 1400 people in the Piemontese province of Asti.  It is on the Asti Wine Road, which runs along a small hilly area between the right bank of the Tanaro River and the Apennine Mountains.  Vines are cultivated between 250 and 450 metres above sea level. The continental climate offers hot summers, warm springs and autumns, and cool winters.  The river valley offers ideal sun exposure for grape growing. The climate and vegetation form a bridge between the Langhe region, with its Mediterranean landscape, and Turin’s hills, with their Alpine influence.
The message that spurred on the Montebruna project was one that would define a ‘land that speaks’. The letters of the name of this wine represent the numerous plots of land purchased by the family to reestablish the heritage that Montebruna possesses. Each letter is also reminiscent of rows of vines designed calligraphically, from words of poems, stemming from the emotions aroused in the poets who wrote them. In this way, by using a natural process of identification between the vineyard and the verses written, a voice has been given to a land; one which has plenty to tell and gives shape to this wine from its earth.
The grapes are hand-harvested in two distinct phases and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks at a constant temperature for a duration of two weeks. The wine is then blended and placed in barrels of 20, 35 and 55 hl capacity where malolactic fermentation occurs. After ageing for approximately 12 months in barrels, the wine is bottled resting a further 3 months before release.
Intense and brilliant ruby red in colour with distinctive aromas of black cherries, smoke and earth.  The palate is dry, compact and robust with black cherry, blackberry, spice and graphite. Smooth, persistent finish and moderate length. Will cellar well for 5-10 years.

92 points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front .. “Montebruna is the youngest vineyard in the Braida Barbera universe – sweet 16 years. Raised in stainless steel and big old oak.  Dark cherry, plum, Xmas spices – especially cloves – chocolate and plum duff. Medium bodied, very fine tannin, succulent – delicious flavours and texture – sweep of sweet tannin and a very long clean finish – tiny amount of warmth.”
RRP $71