2020 Barbera d'Alba, Trediberri, Piedmont, Italy

Trediberri, Piedmont

Trediberri, literally meaning “the three from Berri”, is run by father-and-son team Federico and Nicola Oberto, together with their good friend Vladimiro. Their winemaking journey only started in 2007, when they purchased five hectares of vines in the hamlet of Berri, under the terracotta towers of La Morra.

They produce sensitive expressions of their organically certified vineyards, the jewel in the crown being Federico’s historic two 2.8 hectares of the mighty Rocche dell’Annunziata vineyard which sits in front of their cantina. It was tasting the wines from this vineyard that convinced Nicola to give up his successful career in finance and work the land with his father.

Trediberri epitomises the current dynamism of the region, proudly having no history or coat of arms, and making modern wines, rooted in the traditions of the past.

Barbera

Barbera is planted extensively in Piedmont and south-west Lombardy and accounts for over 50% of the wine produced in the region. The majority is sold simply as Barbera del Piemonte, but the best wines are the DOCs, Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti. It ripens late (after Dolcetto but before Nebbiolo).

The wines are usually ruby red in colour with notably low levels of tannins. They have a pronounced acidity that can be accentuated by overproduction. Barbera wines range from light, tart mouthwashers through to powerful, intensely flavoured wines that require extended cellaring.