Fratelli Ponte Barbera D'Asti Superiore DOCG

The label on this bottle is itself a piece of Piedmontese cultural history: it was hand-drawn on a bread-bag by Romano Levi, the celebrated grappa artisan of Neive, in the year 2000 — a singular act of friendship that anchors the estate's identity as a keeper of regional tradition over commercial formula. Fratelli Ponte's Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG is grown on chalky soils at Frazione Gorzano, San Damiano d'Asti, positioned between Asti and Alba in the heart of Barbera country; the calcium-rich subsoil drives the variety's characteristically high natural acidity and keeps berry fruit taut rather than jammy. Fermentation proceeds in temperature-controlled stainless steel at 26–28°C with 10–15 days of skin maceration, preserving primary red-fruit intensity before the wine moves into large French-oak botte from Garbelotto cooperage for a minimum of 12 months — a deliberate rejection of the small-barrique extraction style favoured by many high-profile Barbera producers. The large-format wood integrates oxygen slowly without imposing vanilla or toast, leaving the grape's acidity structurally dominant. What sets this expression apart within the Superiore category is precisely that restraint: third-generation winemaker Renato Ponte, trained at Enologica Albese, uses oak as a stabiliser rather than a flavour agent. Drink now through 4–5 years from vintage; the chalky-soil acidity gives it genuine mid-term cellaring potential at this price point.