Cellar Profile
The Bertolino family’s origins are in the village of Castelnuovo Calcea, in the Asti district of Piemonte. There, more than a century ago, the family began their venture in both winemaking and the wine trade. In the 1920s, the family moved to the neighbouring commune of Nizza Monferrato and the first Bertolino license to sell wine was dated there, on June 18th, 1927. In 1961, the family bought the villa Bauda at Incisa Scapaccino. They created the “Tenuta Olim Bauda” that soon became famous for Freisa, Moscato and, above all, Barbera. Following the tragic death of Bertolino Sr. in 1985, the family was forced to close the winery and sell their prized fruit to other producers in the area. In 2000, the family decided to reestablish the winery and its winemaking traditions. Today, the estate is owned and operated by the three Bertolino siblings: Dino, Diana and Gianni. Their wines are at once modern and classic, loaded with fruit, intensity and brawn and backed by elegance, structure and refinement.
Region
An outstanding high-quality wine region in northwest Italy, widely considered the country’s most stable and evolved viticultural area. Its temperature and rainfall mirror Bordeaux. The vast majority of Piedmont’s terrain is mountainous or hilly, creating optimum elevated vineyard sites for the region’s best varieties. Of those, Nebbiolo enjoys the greatest notoriety and acclaim. The grape reaches its highest potential in the sub-regions of Barolo and Barbaresco where it is made into incredibly structured, complex, and ageworthy wines. Approximately half of Piedmont’s vineyards are planted with Barbera. The past thirty years have seen significant improvement in Barbera-based wines, with some commanding price levels that approach those of Barolo and Barbaresco. Prior to 1980, white wines were, for the most part, an afterthought, but they are now gaining acclaim and popularity in Italy and abroad. Of particular interest is the resurgence of Gavi, made from the Cortese grape, and the low-alcohol, frizzante Moscato d’Asti.
Vineyard
These grapes come from the Estate's historic vineyard in Incisa Scapaccino, planted in 1961. Located in the commune of Nizza Monferrato, the soil here is alluvial (sedimentary deposits) on top of clay sandy marls. Grapes are trained via Guyot system. The Olim Bauda site is one of the warmest in Asti, allowing Barbera to fully ripen and show its great potential. Grape yield does not exceed 60 quintals per hectare (depending on the vintage). Only in the best vintages do they select a few rows of their Nizza vineyards for the Bauda Reserve.
Winemaking
Only in the best vintages are a few parcels of Olim Bauda's vineyards in the Nizza DOCG selected for the Riserva Bauda Bauda. Grape selection generally takes place in late September or the first week of October and is conducted entirely by hand. The grapes are crushed within hours of harvest and placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. After alcoholic fermentation is finished, the wine is racked and transferred to barrels for +/- three years of aging, followed by further refinement in bottle for at least one year.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple-ruby red. Intense, complex aromas of red currant, dark chocolate, dried violets and a slightly earthy, spicy, clove note. Full-bodied and polished with mature fine tannins, bright acidity and a lively, fruity finish. Serve with dark meats, game and mature cheese.
Varieties
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that produces good yields and is known for deep colour, full body, low tannins and high levels of acid. When young, the wines offer a very intense aroma of fresh red cherries and blackberries. In the lightest versions, notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries; and with notes of blackberry and black cherries in wines made of more ripe grapes. Many producers employ the use of toasted oak barrels, which provides foProducedr increased complexity and aging potential. The lightest versions are generally known for flavours and aromas of fresh and dried fruit. The most powerful and structured examples can be found in the Nizza DOCG.