Nicolon Barbera d'Alba Negro 2020

"Nicolon" is a beautiful vineyard which has been dedicated for some time to the Barbera species of grapevine. The soil is not overly compact and the altitude is about 360 meters above sea level, right on the summit of the hill. This species of grapevine reaches ripeness quite late in the year and the grapes are picked a little earlier than the Nebbiolo at the beginning of October. The wine-making process follows a traditional pattern: after fermentation with maceration at eight to ten days, the wine is drawn when it is almost dry and there is a brief period of maturation in wooden barrels. It is usually bottled in September of the following year and is then aged in bottles for several months. The flavour and appearance of the wine is interesting. It has is a distinct cardinal red and has an aroma which brings a note of blackberries, peaches and roses together with the subtle tones of cooked fruit. It tastes full, significant and decisive. Contains sulphites. Produced by Azienda Agricola Negro Angelo e Figli - di Giovanni Negro - Fraz. Sant’Anna, 1 - 12040, Monteu Roero (CN) - Italy.

The producer

There are accurate historical references to this rural company located in Sant'Anna di Monteu Roero. The old register preserved in the historical archives of the municipality of Monteu Roero testifies that in 1670 the son of one deceased 'Audino', Giovanni Domenico Negro, owned a house with an oven, yard, winery and vines in the same area where the "Perdaudin" vineyard and smallholding is situated today. For centuries generations of the same family have developed their wine-making skills here. The Negro family have continued to cultivate their vines with the same enthusiasm and professionalism, harvesting precious bunches of grapes and producing agreeable wines year after year. Roero - the area where the Negro company is situated - is an area rich in factors essential for the production of quality wines. The climate is temperate-cold, with a good temperature range and relatively low humidity compared to nearby areas. The land, formed out of the remains of an ancient sea, is made up of sand (between 20% and 40%), a good percentage of limestone and a little clay, lending the soil a light and permeable structure. The wines that originate here have a pronounced aroma and complex structure - not heavy, but with a precise and unmistakable character. The wineries themselves are situated close to the Riveri holdings in the hamlet of Sant'Anna, and have been carefully equipped with modern technology that works alongside older tried and tested traditions. The result of this marriage between tradition and technology is a very agreeable wine, impeccable from the point of view of quality, rich in distinctive character, with a strong fragrance and complex structure, capable of winning approval both in Italy and on a world-wide scale.

Best with

This wine is a good accompaniment on most occasions, but has is particularly well-suited to well-structured dishes, such as oven roasted stuffed red meats and seasonal cheeses.

How to serve it

It is advisable to open the bottle several minutes before and serve the wine at 18 - 20 degrees centigrade. The best glasses to use are clear, transparent crystal goblets.

How to keep

This is a wine with a remarkable ability to improve with age and, if it is kept well, it has an average conservation period of ten to twelve years. The bottles should be laid horizontally in a cool, dark, humid wine-cellar.