Scarpa Casa Scarpa Barbera d'Asti 2021
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This is a refreshing, zingy Barbera with endless food pairing possibilities, including antipasti, salumi, vegetables, and pasta dishes with or without tomato sauce.
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Casa Scapra shows that sticking to tradition pays off. This tart and zingy Barbera opens with aromas of cranberry and sour cherry mixed with purple flowers and wild herbs. The palate is energetic with mixed red berries, savory spice and crushed stone all being lifted by the crunch and acidity on the finish.
Since 1900, the production and style of Scarpa wines have been kept intact by handing down expertise through the generations. From founder Antonio Scarpa to Mario Pesce, from Carlo Castino to Silvio Trinchero: style, elegance and longevity have never gone out of fashion. Because Scarpa "knows how to wait" and continues to write a story of greatness. Their modern vision is simple: to expand their wine heritage to the most prestigious crus of Langhe and Monferrato and continue producing legendary labels.
Scarpa cultivates more than 30 hectares of vineyards between Monferrato and Langhe and boasts an impressive vineyard heritage that winds around the splendid single-body estate of Poderi Bricchi, on the border between the hills of Asti and Acqui Terme, and continues on the hills of Barbaresco, in Neive, and those of Barolo, in La Morra and Verduno, located on the right of the Tanaro River, which wraps around them.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
Recognized as the source of the best Barbera in all of Italy, Asti is a province (as well as major city) in Piedmont, consisting of a gentle, rolling landscape with vineyards, farmland and forests alternating throughout.
Barbera d’Asti can be made in an array of styles from relatively straightforward, fruity and ready for consumption early, to the more concentrated, oak aged version with an ability to cellar impressively for 10-15 years and beyond. Some of the very best sites for Barbera in Asti are concentrated in the subzone of Nizza Monferrato. Other red varieties grown here include Freisa, Grignolino and Dolcetto, which can be bottled varietally or blended into Barbera.
Historically consumers commonly associated the Asti region with Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, both playful, aromatic, sparkling wines made from the Muscat grape. Asti Spumante is less sweet, fully fizzy and more alcoholic (yet still clocking in at only around 9% alcohol) while Moscato d’Asti is sweeter, gently sparkling (“frizzante”) and closer to 5 or 6% alcohol. Each is produced in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh and fruity flavors of the grape, often including peach, apricot, lychee and rose petal. Asti is also the spot for the pink-hued Brachetto d'Acqui, a slightly sparkling wine ready to charm with its raspberry and rose flavors and aromas.