Pikasi Barbera
Winery: Pikasi
Classification: Dry red wine
Varietals: 100% Barbera
Appellation: Brje, Vipava Valley, Slovenia
Density & Yield: 4,000 vines/ha; 1.5 kg/vine
Annual Production: 6,000 bottles
Alcohol: 13.5%
Climate: Mild Mediterranean, with dry and hot summers, and mild winters.
Terrain: Vipava Valley is right on the border of Slovenia, just north of the Italian port city of Trieste. The area is made up of steep hills, where the continental climate of the Alps collides with the more moderate mild Mediterranean climate from the Adriatic. Vineyards are located on steep, karst mountain tops, where the temperature is cooler and the soil contains mineral-rich marl, which makes it incredibly helpful in drainage of rainfall.
Farming: Practicing organic. The vineyards have no irrigation, and spraying is done only with sulfites and copper, if needed.
Vinification: All grapes are hand-picked, de-stemmed, and macerated in open vats for 7 days and undergoes spontaneous fermentation. After the wine is transferred to large neutral oak barrels for 12 months, before transferred to stainless steel tanks and aging on lees until bottling (approx 6-11 months). Coarsely filtered before bottling, and released to the market 2 months after bottling.
Tasting Notes: This youthful Barbera from high-valley vineyards shows impressive depth and expression. Rich aromas of cherry, raspberry, and blackberry with white pepper and a touch of fennel lead to a luxurious palate with silky tannins and plenty of weight and substance. This is a casual wine meant to be drunk young, but can certainly develop and mature into a seriously complex wine over the next few years.
Pair it with casual fare, bring it to a BBQ! It will go nicely with burgers, ribs, sausages, steak, kebabs and is also an epic pizza wine.
Winery Information
Pikasi - Saramento
Pikasi - Saramento is a negociant project of Slovenian winemaker and professional ballroom dancer, Matic Rodica. Together with Vipava Valley grower, Petr Stegovec, Matic created the Pikasi lineup of naturally fermented indigenous variety wines – Pinela, Zelen, Rebula, Barbera and Barbera Rose.
