Michele Chiarlo - Barbera d'Asti Superiore Le Orme 2020
Price: $20.25
| Producer | Michele Chiarlo |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Subregion | Barbera d'Asti |
| Varietal | Barbera |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 53561 |
Michele Chiarlo Description
Michele Chiarlo sources grapes from strictly selected Barbera vineyards with excellent exposure to produce a superb, balanced wine. The choice vineyards are in the southern area of Asti province, especially the hills around Nizza Monferrato. Temperature controlled maceration and fermentation on the skins yields the dark, rich color that is typical of great Barberas. The wine is aged in large French oak casks before release.
HARVEST NOTE
After a winter with temperatures above the seasonal average, March witnessed a revival of the vegetation, followed by a wet spring with decent temperatures. In June, there was a strong start to summer with very high temperatures; these conditions lasted a little over a week, followed by alternate days of rain and sun. July and August were characterized by below average temperatures with many cloudy days and rain, though not excessive. In September the weather improved greatly, providing optimal conditions for a slow ripening and the development of perfumes. Harvesting took place from the 10th to 20th of October, when the grapes were healthy, showing good signs of their ripeness but a particularly low yield. Overall, the qualitative results, in a complicated year often hastily judged to be mediocre, are much better than expected.
TASTING NOTE
Ruby red in color, the wine is medium bodied and robust with rich, ripe cherries, raspberries, and blueberries on the nose and an elegant palate. We can foresee an interesting evolution combined with great longevity.
FOOD PAIRING
Barbera d'Asti is one of the wines with the great flexibility and perfectly combines with various dishes from chicken scallopini with sage and wild mushrooms to grilled or roasted red meats. We especially appreciate it with pasta with different sauces and with various red and white meat dishes; excellent also with fish cooked with rich sauces.
