CASCINA TAVIJN
Guercia 2019
Piedmont, Italy
This is Barbera from an old vineyard planted in 1949 in Quarto d’Asti by a family friend of Nadia’s. The grapes were destemmed and spent two months on the skins, followed nine months in vat. A little shy on opening, air reveals a Barbera of real purity with bright, brambly fruit and beautiful acidity. Perfect alongside a proper brasato, or anything hearty cooked low and slow.
Barbera
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Nadia Verrua’s family has been making wines in the hills of Monferrato in the province of Asti for over a century.
Their ten hectares of land are farmed organically and split equally between vines bearing local grape varieties and hazelnut trees. It’s little secret that Nadia’s mum Teresa makes one of the best torta di nocciole in all of Piemonte.
Things have always been done properly here and it shows. The fruit comes from healthy vines planted on soft, sandy slopes and the resulting wines are charming, rustic and pure.
In the cantina the wines are fermented with wild yeasts and raised in a mixture of big old botti, fibreglass and cement. The idea is not to add too much, not to take away, and the resulting wines are joyful and delicious, a pleasure to drink.