Posted By Joel on March 9, 2010

Pico Maccario Barbera d’Asti Lavignone 2008
Pico Maccario Barbera d’Asti Berrò 2008

“The magic behind every outstanding performance is always found in the smallest of details.”
— Gary Ryan Blair

I was totally struck by the level of detail and attention given to the Pico Maccario estate symbol. To make the point, I offer you the following from Pico Maccario’s website:

The Rose of the Wines

Our symbol, created by Sergio Bianco, is made up of a shield and a rose, with the rose standing out in relief. The shield is an equilateral triangle with harmoniously curved sides to symbolize the bowl of the goblet. In history, the symbolic value of the rose comes from the myth of Adonis who was loved by Venus and from whose blood bloomed the first red roses. From this, the rose came to symbolize Love and Revival. In the myths of Dionisus, the God of wine, they used to wear crowns of roses because they believed that roses had the power to prevent the revealing of secrets when under the influence of alcohol. From this, the rose came to symbolize secrecy and roses were often used as decoration in confessionals (sub rosa: under the seal of silence in confession). In Christian symbology the red rose is the blood of Jesus which in the communion is symbolized by wine. Finally, the rose represents life and there is a tradition among viticulturalists that it is capable of revealing some illnesses of the vines. The shield is raised in the center with the name underneath so that it takes the shape of a goblet. The name Pico Maccario is written on two lines to maintain balance and symmetry. The font was chosen to symbolize the thorns of the rose. With the same love, the same passion, and the same care we create our wines.1

That kind of attention to detail – that is to say, the kind driven by passion and love – has resulted in some wonderful expressions of Barbera from Pico Maccario.

The Pico Maccario estate, well known as a specialist producer of Barbera, is located in Mombaruzzo, a commune of Italy’s Piedmont situated within the ASTI DOCG. The estate – some 70 contiguous hectares (the largest solely owned vineyard in Piedmont) – is run by Maccario brothers Pico and Vitaliano, with Pico handling production of the wines and Vitaliano attending to commercial matters. The estate has invested in modern, state-of-the-art technology to assure quality in all phases of production, a quality process which it believes begins in the vineyard with best practice cultivation techniques.

The estate’s Barbera d’Asti Lavignone and Barbera d’Asti Berrò are made from 100% Barbera grapes grown in clay soil at approximately 180 meters altitude. After light crushing of the grapes, Lavignone is macerated for 10-12 days and refined in steel vats for 9 months with many decantings followed by additional refinement in bottle, while Berrò is macerated for 8 days, refined in steel vats for 7 months with an additional 5 months of refinement in bottle.

Barbera d’Asti Lavignone 2008
Tasting Notes / Impressions:

An elegant combination of cherry and almond on the nose gives way to rich, round plum and ripe berry fruit flavors. Almost pinot noir-like in body with gorgeously svelte, silky tannins. Satisfying finish.

Food Pairing Suggestions:
Risotto, pasta, poultry, grilled fish, medium aged cheeses

Barbera d’Asti Berrò 2008
Tasting Notes / Impressions:

Plenty of fresh, clean berry fruit scents, hints of plum on the palate and smooth, user friendly tannins. Immensely drinkable.

Food Pairing Suggestions:
Casual dishes, burgers, chicken, soups, deli, fresh cheeses

BTW…Would you be surprised to know that there are 4,500 unique-clone rose bushes at Pico Maccario and one is positioned in front of every row of the estate’s 315,000 vines?

Well…..there are ! Details, details

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1, from Pico Maccario website, www.picomaccario.com

Categories: $ (Under $25), Piedmont, Wine
Tags: Barbera