2020 Cantine Valpane, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG “Perlydia” Piemonte, Italy.
The deep purple/garnet Valpane 2020 “Perlydia” Barbera is a beefy pure example of this ancient native varietal with loads of old world charm and rustic leathery notes to go with a full mouth of dark berry fruit, bramble, crushed violets, anise and underbrush. There’s a lot to admire from Valpane, who only do Barbera, and this one opens up well with polished tannins and the fruit comes alive with food and time in the glass, giving a rewarding rotation of blackberry, wild plum, tangy currant and blueberry providing a good contrast with the earthy tones on the palate. I’ve been lucky enough to have had cellar aged 20 year old versions of Valpane and these Barberas really age well and are wildly good values. This wine, all from organic vines that were replanted in 2000, captures the terroir, which is clay and limestone based and made without the use of oak, seeing a combination of stainless steel and concrete for fermentation and aging. The Perlydia cuvée usually sees an extended maceration, up to three weeks and spends up to 5 years in vat before bottling.
Pietro Arditi’s famous old school Barbera only Piemonte estate Valpane, which dates back to 1898, is located in the Monferrato and a site that has seen vines since the 1700s, makes true age worthy and rustic wines that are a bit more rare these days. Long time importer Kermit Lynch says that although the names Asti and Alba may be more widely recognized today, Arditi explains that the Monferrato provides more faithful expressions of Barbera. This is due in part to the warmer climate and longer hours of sunlight here, which allow the grapes to ripen completely and unfurl the full personality of the variety. The Monferrato, Kermit continues, is also still relatively untamed, and the forests and fields here benefit the area’s vineyards by providing a natural source of variety. At Valpane these factors combine to provide meaty Barberas that nevertheless offer plenty of lively fruit, which this 2020 shows off nicely. Valpane also lets their Barbera mature in large oak botti and cement tanks for several years, depending on the cuvée, and releases them only when they are ready, again unique in the modern world. I had this Perlydia with simple pasta, which was fine, but I would suggest either wild mushroom and or meaty dishes to bring out the best here.
($20 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive