Barbera from Neive with at least twelve months in French oak. Superiore here is not a label word but ageing time: dark fruit, spice and the lively acidity that makes this grape so good at the table.
Deep ruby red with a violet rim. The nose opens on ripe cherry and plum, behind them the sweet spice of French oak, a touch of liquorice and a light tobacco note from the ageing. On the palate the body strikes first — this is a firm Barbera — and immediately after it the acidity, which keeps the wine lively and digestible despite all that ripe fruit. The tannin is soft and fine-grained, as it should be with this grape; the oak provides backbone without taking over. The finish is long and gently spiced. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with well-seasoned food.
Cantina Francone has worked out of Neive, in the heart of Barbaresco, since 1892. Five generations on, Marco and Fabrizio Francone run the family estate, whose reputation rests above all on the Gallina hill: a south-facing cru listed on Renato Ratti's historic map of Barbaresco crus.
For this Barbera grapes from several parcels around Neive are brought together. That is a choice: a single site gives character, but a blend gives balance, and with Barbera — a grape quick to have too much or too little of something — that matters more.
Harvest falls in early October, after the white grapes and just before the Nebbiolo. Fermentation is traditional, with eight to ten days of maceration on the skins.
At least twelve months in French oak follow, in barrels and barriques. That is what Superiore means here: not heavier, but aged for longer.
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