2024 Tenuta Il Falchetto, Barbera d’Asti DOCG “Pian Scorrone” Piemonte, Italy.
Being a big Barbera geek and lover it was great to discover a new quality producer, which I did at the recent Slow Wine show in San Francisco, finding Tenuta Il Falchetto and their wildly delicious all tank raised and pure Pian Scorrone Barbera d’Asti with was deep purple/garnet in the glass with a fresh array of black and blue fruits, lively acidity, rounded texture and lingering florals and spicy notes. The stainless steel fermented and raised Pian Scorrone is just want the doctor ordered and delivers crushed blackberry, blueberry, wild plum and cherry fruits in the glass and shows off lilac florals, garden herbs, anise, a touch of loam and mineral accents, all perfectly capturing varietal character, vintage nuance and terroir. It was also a pleasure to meet Margherita Forno of Tenuta Il Falchetto and hear about the winery, the wines, which also included a fabulous age worth Botti raised Superiore version of Barbera, and a creamy fresh Moscato Canelli, this is definitely a winery to follow, and is on my watch list. This Pian Scorrone saw 100% de-stemming and a cool maceration and stainless vat elevage that allows for crisp detailing and transparent form, making it great with everyday meals, especially simple meat and pasta dishes.
Located in the Valle Tinella, between Asti and Alba, Tenuta Il Falchetto is a Barbera specialist, though they also do Arneis and Moscato, and have a clean and structured style that is very appealing throughout the range, especially as seen here in the latest Pian Scorrone Barbera d’Asti. Those that speak Italian would benefit from explore their website, alas I don’t have those skills, even though I love Italy and really should put in more effort! They also have a parcel in Nizza, the best pure Barbera zone in Piemonte, where they do a rare and exciting Riserva, that is a wine I hope to try in the future. Barbera, once a peasant grape for the workmen of the region, along with Dolcetto, has really raised its game and top bottlings actually rival the noble Nebbiolo, be it Langhe Nebbiolo or cru Barbaresco or Barolo even. I first became obsessed with Barbera in the 1990s, when I read about the top efforts by Giorgio Rivetti at La Spinetta and it seemed I got a case of his Ca’ di Pian every year! Here Il Falchetto has classic sandy soils with clay and limestone marl underneath and a climate to perfectly ripen the racy Barbera grape, which retains good acidity even in warm years. I like the no nonsense here, with a touch of savory elements, bramble and subtle rustic charm in the background and the ease of use here. These Il Falchetto wines are very delicious efforts and I highly recommend chasing them down.
($22 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive