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2018 Barbera d’Alba “Bricco del Pilone”

Piero Benevelli
Discount Eligible $27.00
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Tonight, I marveled at the amazing color of Massimo Benevelli’s Barbera—a vivid, regal, dark purple. His wines often have an opacity uncommon in Piedmont that hints at the unique nature of the vineyard’s marl and limestone slopes, as well as Massimo’s light touch in the cellar. This Barbera tastes as good as it looks, too, with a mouthful of dark, balsamic-drizzled, berry fruit. The bottling has a bit of Barolo-like structure and grip, but there’s nothing Barolo-like about the price, so stock up.

Dustin Soiseth


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Barbera
Appellation: Barbera d’Alba
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Benevelli Piero
Winemaker: Massimo Benevelli
Vineyard: 25 years, 1.5 ha
Soil: Grey marl and bluish limestone
Aging: Ages 6 months in old barrels, then 6 more months in large Slovenian oak barrels
Farming: Traditional
Alcohol: 14.5%

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About The Region

Piedmont

map of Piedmont

Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.

Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.

Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.

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Old cob-webbed wine bottles

Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.