Tenuta Il Falchetto ‘Barbarossa’, Monferrato Rosso

This wine is 100% Nebbiolo from the Monferrato region of Piemonte. Nebbiolo is the powerful red variety used in Barolo and Barbaresco but for Monferrato the rules were such that the wine can only be labelled Rosso, even though it shares more than a little resemblance to its illustrious neighbours in taste, though not price tag.

This grapes come from a vineyard planted 10 years ago next to the Bricco Paradiso Barbera vineyards in Agliano Terme. This is one of the best places in Monferrato area for world class wines with low yields making for a rich and complex wine. The estate refers to this is their “Barolo” from the Monferrato area and they are very pleased that from the 2019 vintage a new DOC was created: Monferrato Nebbiolo DOC, equivalent to the Langhe Nebbiolo DOC. Moreover, the low yields and impressive quality mean that the wine qualifies for the ‘Superiore’ designation.

But for the moment we have a little of the 2017, which is just beginning to open up. It is a deep, powerful wine with gently spicy aromas mixed with berry fruits and balsamic notes. This is a big wine with layers of flavour unfolding across the palate. There is balance too with the ripe fruit masking the excellent structure. This is a serious wine, approachable now, but will evolve and improve for another 10 years or more. And whilst you will need to be patient, the quality for the price is quite remarkable.

Tenuta Il Falchetto

We are delighted to be offering the wines of Il Falchetto, from Santo Stefano Belbo in Piemonte. The estate is east of Alba close to the border of the Langhe and Monferrato regions. It is owned by the Forno family, whose long history here began in the mid-1600’s. For the last four generations they have been a family of winegrowers and winemakers, devoted to the vine and to wine. Pietro Forno began producing Moscato in 1940 and at the end of the 70s Pietro passed the reins to his children Natalino and Luigi, who renewed the cellar and invested in new equipment. They worked hard improving and honing techniques, always with the maximum respect for tradition and their land.

Today the Il Falchetto Estate is proudly managed by brothers Giorgio, Fabrizio and Adriano Forno and includes vineyards in both Cuneo and Asti provinces, in which nine different varieties are cultivated, though the focus and highlight is their world class Barbera. The philosophy is to produce only top quality wines that respect and express the very best that each individual vineyard can produce.

For more details of this beautiful estate visist: www.ilfalchetto.com/en/