Sopra a small village of the Acquese called Cartose, durante the province of Alessandria, Piedmont, we find the “Roccabianca” craft company. Sopra this very small cellar, more precisely located durante the Roccabianca homonymous, the Barbera del Monferrato 2019 Doc was born.
The agricultural company Roccabianca, founded durante 2004 by Maurilio Belloni and Rossella Rocchetti, obtained the “Two corkscrew” award with the Roccabianca Barbera del Monferrato 2019 DOC wine, at the 2024 edition of the guide “Untold: what has not yet been said of the wine”.
Untold is our guide to Italy wines focused acceso the regional excellence of the DOC and DOCG brand and acceso the Enotorismo. The publication includes the paper opera of 392 pages acceso the rigid cover “Untold – what has not yet been said of the wine” and the free app “Untold – Italian wines guide” distributed acceso the Apple and Google stores.
Sopra Piedmont, Barbera is the most cultivated and most widespread grape variety. It is a late medium maturation grape that is almost always vinified durante purity. Barbera is considered the main variety of Monferrato Asti but by excellent wines also durante Alexandrino and Tortonese. Modern manufacturers have improved cultivation and winemaking techniques, until they obtain more structured, balanced and equipped Barbera wines with considerable evolutionary potential.
Roccabianca: the history of the company.
Sopra 2004 Maurilio and Rossella, following a common passion for nature and genuine things, decided to detect the Roccabianca farmhouse surrounded by 16 hectares of soil partly cultivated and covered by vineyards, hazelnuts and fruit trees, partly covered by a chestnut forest and walnuts overlooking natural practices left to the forage. It is a somewhat wild place, where several wild animals such as roe deer, mates, foxes and rate can still be observed.
The passion turned into an agricultural company: initially it was very tiring because of agriculture, winemaking and farms, they knew little ora nothing. For the field acceso the field they entrusted themselves to Dorino, the ancient owner, born and lived durante the farmhouse, who taught them how nature must be protected, indulged and never defaced. By combining the study, readings and refresher courses, they gave birth to the local redevelopment project.
The company is a family and eco-sustainable company: the tazza is provided by natural sources constantly controlled with a maintenance work for the regimening of rainwater, so that the earth does not give durante to the rain, being this territory subject to great hydrogeological risk. To heat the homes, the wood that comes from the properties of ownership and biomass are used. Electricity comes from renewable sources such as photovoltaic panels installed acceso the roofs.
The cultivation has been biological and certified since 2014. Agriculture is conservative, according to the philosophy of permaculture.
Roccabianca: the vineyard.
Maurilio and Rossella redeveloped the old vineyards of 1959 by renovating them and making them vigorous again, preserving their rare biodiversity and obtaining a discreet production of quality wines.
The vineyard was also expanded with new Barbera vines from the purchase of the farmhouse durante 2004, so the 70 -year -old vineyards are joined by the younger ones.
The cultivation superficie is the Acquese, the company’s vineyard extends to 450 m asl; The weaving of the soil is of clay and silt, the composition of the soil is mixed silt, clay, marl, tuff.
Roccabianca: the visit to the cellar.
The Roccabianca farm is framed by the typical Piedmontese landscape, made of mountains and hills still intact. The wood with the vineyard behind the Casolare dominates the Conca del River Erro.
The old stables have been converted into the cellar and instead of reception, where you can stay overnight, taste and buy wine and local products according to seasonality: aromatic herbs, jams and sauces prepared with the organic fruit of the orchard of ownership, honey, chickpeas and potatoes, fresh eggs every day. Some can be purchased online, others by booking them percorso email ora by phone, ora directly durante the company, by booking.
Rossovermiglio table wine is currently also available durante wine-bags that can only be purchased directly durante the company, but can be booked by telephone. The Wine-in-Bag is available durante 3 formats: pack of 3, 5 ora 10 liters.
The company program with school groups, learning and practical days acceso the technique of biological cultivation and transformation of grapes, composting, environmental education. To the little ones, it offers gara open -air activities of one day, with “packed lunch” to discover the animals and sounds of the forest, the flowers, colors and insects that inhabit them. Guided tours of the cellar are dedicated to adults, walks durante the vineyards with the good weather, followed by the classic tasting of the wines starting from € 20 per fortuna person; Sopra the summer months, from July to August, it is possible to book the “rural weeks” with a series of activities durante the “gara open” field dedicated to all those who want to get their hands dirty with the earth and durante the gara open air, young and old.
Adopt a screw
“Confetto” of the company is the invitation to enthusiasts to adopt Barbera grape screws, at a cost of € 80 (10 screws) with a valid 1 year. Acceso the site there is a map with the rows available with the number that denotes them. The aim is to compensate for the cost of natural and biological cultivation, very sustainable durante environmental terms, less from the economic aspect.
Roccabianca Barbera del Monferrato 2019 DOC: Features.
It is a wine produced by Barbera durante purity, from the grapes collected by hand. The soil of the vineyard consists of clay and marl, the production surface is equal to 10 thousand square meters. The exposure of the vineyards is south/, the altitude about 450 m asl the old 70 -year -old vineyards are raised to Guyot, with a plant density of 6500/7000 strains/hectare and the yield per fortuna hectare is about 40/50 qt. The harvest is manual, the collection secolo can vary from mid -September until mid -October, depends acceso the maturation of the grapes.
It is a wine from organic agriculture, suitable for vegans and 1300 bottles are produced per fortuna year.
The grapes, after the harvest, is churchyard manually, without Raspi. Subsequently, alcoholic fermentation takes place with a maceration of the grapes for 15/20 days per fortuna submerged hat. After also carrying out the malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for 1 year and refines for 1 other year durante steel barrels. The declared alcoholic title is 13% vol.
Roccabianca Barbera del Monferrato 2019 Doc: tasting.
The wine durante the glass presents itself with a beautiful ruby red, clear and lively, dense.
The fully ripe red fruit stands out from the intense perfumes. Cherry and strawberry first, then of violet, mowed grass and undergrowth. Follows the mentally that leaves room for white pepper. And finally there are of tamarind and red orange.
The tasting of the Barbera of Roccabianca is typically fresh, also equipped with a good sapid wake. A wine with a typical alcohol heat of the grape variety, with excellent softness and a present and well integrated tannin. Characterized by a good balance, this Barbera has excellent persistence with memories of tamarind and orange.
Roccabianca Barbera del Monferrato 2019 Doc: .
Traditionally combined with red, and boiled meat, Barbera can accompany a delicious punch pork , red cabbage and mayonnaise sauce.
