La Miraja "Le Masche" Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG 2023

Intense and fragrant aromas dominated by red cherry, black plum and blackberry open against a backdrop of licorice and mature rose with a delicate balsamic undertone. On the palate, this medium-bodied Barbera marries freshness and elegance, resulting in an uncommonly complex wine with a gentle finish. 

This Barbera is made from organically farmed estate fruit from the Majole vineyard situated at 250 meters above sea level. Majole is a legendary, high-density vineyard with Southwest exposure and calcareous-red clay soils planted to Barbera in 1972. 5,000 vines per hectare trained in the guyot style. The grapes are harvested by hand, destemmed and then crushed by basket press into stainless-steel tanks, where it remains in contact with the skins for 10 days of fermentation with native yeasts. Following spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine ages for a minimum of 12 months in neutral oak prior to bottling and release.  

Barbera ranks among Piedmont’s most prolific and lovable grape varieties, and La Miraja’s bottling is a textbook example of Barbera from Asti, where the grape often produces its most complex expressions. The name “Le Masche” is a nod to local spirits believed to be protectors of the vineyard. Their origins can be found in the Celtic and Lombard civilizations who once occupied the region now known as Piedmont. The “masche” were benevolent witches known for their herbal remedies and healing powers, though the term was also extended to describe the mischievous spirits and supernatural entities who lurked in the villages and the taverns of the area.

Nestled within the original castle of Castagnole Monferrato, La Miraja was constructed as an armory in the 11th century, only to be retrofitted as a cellar in the 1400s. In this armory-turnedcellar, Eugenio Gatti, a seventh-generation viticulturist, turns out Barbera, Grignolino, Freisa and his fabled Ruché. La Miraja (pronounced “me-rye-uh”) is tiny by any measure, comprising less than four hectares under vine. It is here that Eugenio devotes his life’s work to producing roughly 2,500 transcendent cases of wine each year. Harnessing his years of experience working in wineries and distilleries across Italy, he imbues his wines with a haunting purity and a simple elegance.