Fazzoletto Barbera Passito

Intro to Fazzoletto Barbera Passito –

Fazzoletto Barbera Passito is a deliciously rich yet not sweet deep dark red wine.

Full tasting note and wine making –

Fazzoletto Barbera Passito is a fleshy and juicy red with aromas of sweet ripe plums and cherries. The palate shows ripe fruitforward characters of cherry and wild plum and the ripe rounded finish is balanced by fresh bramble acidity.

This wine is a rediscovery of the old tradition of using partially-dried grapes to add richness and concentration. The Barbera grapes were grown on southwest-facing slopes in the Monferrato hills, at 250-400m altitude. Soils here are clay and limestone. Following the traditional passito technique – a portion of ripe Barbera grapes (around 20%), left on the vine for nearly a month after the main harvest to sun dry, were blended with fresh Barbera grapes before fermentation. This sweetens, enriches and softens the resulting acidity.

The name, labels and patterned screwcrap represent the ‘Fazzoletto Rosso’ worn by Italian resistance fighters during World War 2, symbolising freedom and rebellion *each 6-bottle case contains a random selection of 3 distinctive label designs.

The producer –

Araldica is Piemonte’s most forward-thinking co-operative, situated in Castel Boglione, in the heart of Barbera d’Asti territory. Here they work with 230 grower members to source quality grapes from around 690ha of vineyards. Many of their members joined the co-operative in the 1950s and have a long and loyal relationhip with the winery. They produce wines from Piemonte’s main DOC / DOCG regions – predominantly Barbera, Gavi and Moscato, but also including Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero Arneis.

Founded in 1954 by Livio Manera, father of the current Managing Director and winemaker Claudio Manera, Araldica has developed over the past 60+ years to become a major winemaking force in Piemonte, supplying wines across the globe. Claudio’s wife Lella heads up quality control at Araldica, where she is responsible for the blending and approval of all wines.

Their son Carlo, also a qualified winemaker, is now part of the Araldica winemaking team. Livio pioneered developments in winemaking techniques – especially with regard to the production of Barbera – and Araldica have since continued to be instrumental in the distribution of Barbera and Gavi within the UK market and internationally. As Claudio states their aim is “…to provide a range that is both understandable and accessible. Quite simply, wine for drinking and enjoying.”

Drink with –

A good match for roast poultry or game, or rich stews and pasta dishes.