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What We Say 2006 Caranti Barbera d'Asti Superiore
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Today’s selection from Italy’s Piedmont is only available in the United States through The Wine Spies. If you’re a fan of these Italy’s great wines, then be sure to place your order early. Our allocation is very limited.
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Mission Codename: La Spia Superiore
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Acquire an exclusive allocation of a Barbera d’Asti Superiore for our operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Azienda Agricola Cascina Garitina
Wine Subject: 2006 Caranti Barbera d’Asti Superiore
Backgrounder:
Barbera, the third most planted varietal (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano) in Italy finds its most classic expression in the Piedmont and specifically in Asti and Alba. The finest Barbera is grown in specific single vineyard crus surrounding those communes. Italian Barbera comes in two basic forms, the tradizione, a more rustic old-world style and newer more fruit forward styles similar to the Barbera that is grown in California. Sadly, Barbera is often passed up as a lesser varietal but when done well, these wines show their classic Italian heritage and character.
In order to be labeled Superiore, the Barbera must be aged for at least 12 months, of which 6 months must be in oak or chestnut, hae an alcohol of 12.5% or greater and be from one of these sub-regions: Nizza, Tinella, Colli Astiani or Asti.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dense and dark purple with garnet reflections through its dark but clear core. Along the edges the color lightens just slightly and when swirled slow medium thick legs hang for a moment before deliberately descending down to the wine below.
Smell – Medium bold in intensity with fresh aromas of fleshy and spicy fruit, specifically dusty raspberry, blackberry and plum. Complex notes of toasted oak, vanilla caramel, floral violets and fresh oak mix with a dusty earthiness.
Feel – This full-bodied and dry wine has an initial attack of spice with bright fresh acidity. Medium-firm but well-textured tannins blend with the spice and acid reaching the far corners of the palate.
Taste – Fresh and bright flavors of spiced blackberry and plum with a touch of tart raspberry as well are immediately followed by a kick of mild cayenne pepper. As the spice fades hints of vanilla and oak mix with classic Italian candied fruit and hints of tree nuts.
Finish – This wine finishes with its spiced fruit fading slightly but with its textured and structured tannins gripping just a while longer. Hints of this wine’s fruit, spice and floral notes linger inviting another sip.
Conclusion – The 2006 Cascina Garitina Caranti Barbera d’Asti Superiore is a fresh and light-hearted Barbera but also shows real depth and character which is provided by its extended barrel aging. Nice balance between its fruit and other complex notes puts this wine somewhere in between new and old-world. Enjoy this wine right away as a perfect starter to your next Italian dinner but also save a few bottles in the cellar – we’re betting that this wine will evolve beautifully for 5-10 years to come.
Mission Report:
The last time I saw Baco, she handed me a parcel at the Foligno train station parking lot as she speed off on her Vespa. I thought I heard her laughing, but couldn’t confirm my suspicions.
Only until I had opened the parcel she gave me and read her note, did I catch a glimpse of her passion for wine. Baco was a deep cover operative and was skating on the thin ice with a few of the wineries we had under surveillance.
HQ was deeply concerned that she had been compromised and after redacting the contents of her note, sent me back to check on her. It was a previously scheduled sojourn, but still, tension was high. We couldn’t figure out how Baco was finding such great wine values. Was she on the take? It didn’t matter to me, for the ends justified the means. As long as she kept producing great wines, I was happy. HQ on the other hand…
Arriving in Torino at spring time is a treat in itself, having Baco meet me at the station with some Torrone, my favorite nougat candy, is heaven. Still short on conversation and this time in a dumpy Fiat he to the village Asti where we met the folks from Cascina Garitina. Tasting flights of their wine was, dare I say, sinful. The wines were all delicious. The tradizione styled 2006 Caranti Barbera d’Asti Superiore stood out and here we are today.
Cin Cin!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of Azienda Agricola Cascina Garitina, just south of Asti in Castel Boglione, Italy can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Az. Agr. Cascina Garitina
About This Wine:
Caranti is a deep ruby red wine with a slightly bluish tinge. Light notes of vanilla and spices accompany the typical Barbera aromas: plum, blackberry and almond. A well defined, harmonious body, soft and pervasive with a complexity which improves with age. Excellent ageing prospects (5-10 years).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve at 16-18° C in balloons glasses. Very good with roasts and stewed meats,
cured meats and well-matured cheeses.
PRODUCTION NOTES: The bunches of grapes are cut throughout the entire vegetative cycle of the vine, bringing the grape yield per hectare down to 6000-7000 kilos. The harvest takes place after the middle of September in two different stages and the grapes are then crushed and undergo temperature controlled, submerged cap fermentation is completed in wood (70% tonneaux 30% used barriques), where the wine remains for 11 months. After bottling, a yearlong period of refinement takes place before the wine is released.
About The Vineyard:
Caranti is produced from grapes grown in vineyards with optimum southwest exposure, located 350 metres above sea level in the borough of Castelnuovo Calcea, Piedmont. The low Guyot training system is used, with approximately 5.000 vines per Hectare. The vineyard was planted in 1980-85.
About The Winery:
Cascina Garitina is a family run estate fonded last century in 1900. Barbera is our most important wine and it’s produced exclusively from our best located estate owned vineyards.
During the last few years, all our efforts have been aimed at increasing the quality of grapes (short pruning, green harvest, controlled grass growth in the vineyards) in order to obtain grapes with a higher concentration and wines with a well defined structure, respecting the tipycal characteristics which our “terroir” instills into our products.
Our wineyards are located at an altitude of 240-300 metres a.s.l in the heart of the High Monferrato area, in soils which are rich in clay and have a small percentage of lime and sand. Today our vineyards cover a surface of 23,50 hectares: 70% Barbera and the rest divided among Dolcetto, Pinot Nero, Brachetto, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Our family takes care of the entire production cycle: the manual work in the vineyards, and the attentive dedicated to the wines in the cellar guarantee the quality of our wines and their perfect evolution in the bottle.
Estate Details:
Altitude: 240-320 m. above sea level.
Area covered by vineyards: 13 hectares in the hills of the borough of Castel Boglione, 10,50 hectares on directly management in Castelnuovo Calcea, San Marzano Oliveto, Calamandrana.
Grape varieties cultivated: 70% Barbera and the other 30% is divided among Dolcetto, Pinot Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Brachetto.
Soils: Medium with a tendency, in some Barbera vineyards, to contain large amounts of Clay.
Climate: Mediterranean with a slight continental influx, expecially in the winter: During the entire vegetative cycle of the vine, the main factor is the constants southerly wind, known as the “Marin” (sea wind).
Technical Analysis:
Varietals: 100% Barbera
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total acidity: 5.90 g/l
pH: 3.50
SO2: 95.00 mg/l
