Barbera at its finest
Italian wine? We love drinking that too. So much so that last year we delved into the delights of the Barbera grape. After much tasting and a visit to Piedmont, we found the right wine estate to work with: Frasca La Guaragna. They not only make special Barbera d’Asti; they also belong to the top of the cru appellation Nizza DOCG. Fruit, structure, finesse, elegance in the wines and the will to fully exploit the potential of Barbera make Frasca La Guaragna the producer to follow in this region.
Frasca La Guaragna, the wine estate
The Frasca family are Americans with Italian roots. And it was precisely that search for those roots that led to this wine project. The Frasca family’s love for Piemonte and its world-famous wines was the inspiration to return to Italy. The plan? To produce elegant, terroir-expressive wine in Nizza Monferrato. An introduction to winemaker Matteo Gerbi was the catalyst that made this vision a reality. Matteo’s extensive experience in prestigious wineries (including Gaja) in the Langhe region helped to map out a clear path and share the family’s journey from the very first steps. Today, Matteo leads a passionate team from vineyard to cellar, following the original inspiration with an eye to the future.
The winemaker, Matteo Gerbi
Matteo Gerbi is the winemaker & co-owner of Frasca La Guaragna. After several years of making wine for some of Italy's top wineries (including Gaja), it was time for his own project. Preferably near the city where he grew up, Asti. Matteo dreamed of making elegant, terroir-driven interpretations of Barbera. In the Frasca family he found the partner to make this dream come true.
The vineyards
Step one was to acquire top vineyards. Matteo and his team found a total of 20Ha of older vineyards with Barbera, Roero Arneis, Riesling, Grignolino and Freisa. These vineyards are located on the one hand in the cru appellation Nizza (10Ha), on the other hand in the region of Asti. With ages of 40-80 years the ideal source of quality grape material.
In Nizza Monferato they have a 10 Ha, situated at an altitude of 170-250m. The soil here consists mainly of clayey soils with lime deposits and in some places a more sandy soil. Ideal to bring acidity and minerality to the wines.
The other vineyards are spread over the villages of Agliano Terme, Moasca and Anunziata. Each with their own soil composition so that fruit, structure, depth, complexity and aging potential can be achieved.