Il Cascinone Cascina Nuova Nizza [Organic]

Vibrant cherry and berry aromas with lightly toasty, spicy notes. The palate is refined but not too polished, with ample fresh and juicy black cherry and damson fruit, backed by Barbera's hallmark racy acidity and an attractively wild edge

Piemonte and Barbera, one of the great combinations, often copied but rarely duplicated… why have the imposter when you can have the real deal. Nizza has been an official DOCG in its own right since 2014 with the organically grown 2019 being the first vintage for this wine. Harvested fruit is fermented in stainless steel, after 12 days 750kg of dried grapes (15 days on fruttaio) are added, prolonging the total fermentation/maceration to 20 days. The wine spends 18 months predominantly in barrique (15% new) with just 10% aged in tonneaux. Stylistically, this fits nicely in the gap between Rive and D’Annona, it’s not as plush or soft as Rive – the Barbera is a little more serious here, but it’s also a more modern take than D’Annona. The wine has lots of bright red fruit, typical chop-smacking acidity with the oak adding a tight cedar note rather than anything too polished or flash.

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, Silver, 92 points: “Very ripe and vibrant plum and black cherry aroma leads to a finely structured, concentrated dark cherry and mulberry palate.”