Castello di Neive Barbera d'Alba Superiore
Wine Description
The Superiore version of Castello di Neive's Barbera d'Alba is only produced in the best vintages and represents a selection of the best Barbera grapes from their Marcorino vineyard. Here, they follow strict green harvesting (removal of immature bunches) and plant only on south-facing slopes thus yielding a wine of great ripeness. It is made from 100% Barbera grapes and serves as a reminder of Barbera's potential. After fermentation, this wine is aged for at least 1 year in oak barriques (225-L French oak barrels) to round out the wine.
Acclaim
Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Barbera d'Alba DOC
Vineyard name
Marcorino
Vineyard size
1.7 acres
Soil composition
Calcareous
Training method
Guyot
Elevation:
825 feet
Vines/acre:
1,600
Yield/acre:
3.6 tons
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
2004
Harvest time:
September
First vintage of this wine:
1985
Bottles produced of this wine:
6,000
Average Vine Age:
5
Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
10
Varietal composition:
100% Barbera
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10 days
Fermentation temperature:
82 °F
Maceration technique:
Pumpovers and Aeration
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French oak: Allier
Length of aging before bottling:
1 year
Age of Aging Container:
1 - 5 years
Length of bottle aging:
6 months
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.45
Acidity:
5.7 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Dry extract:
28 g/L
Residual sugar:
2 g/L