Vineyards and winemaking
Bricco della Bigotta is made from 100% Barbera grown in an estate vineyard in Castelnuovo Calcea. Its west-facing hillside and substantial sandy, calcareous soils give low-yielding, mature vines the conditions to produce fruit of impressive concentration while retaining Barbera's defining acidity.
Following an extended maceration on the skins, the wine is matured for 15 months in barriques and then for a further year in bottle. At more than twenty years from harvest, this 2005 is fully mature and should be stood upright before opening, then poured carefully to separate any natural sediment.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep garnet at the centre, shading to brick and tawny tones at the rim.
Nose
Dried sour cherry and plum preserve are joined by violet, liquorice, roasted coffee and old leather, with a subtle lift of white pepper.
Palate
Dense yet resolved, with mature dark fruit and balsamic freshness supported by smooth, settled tannins. Notes of cocoa, cedar and savoury earth now sit alongside the wine's remaining cherry richness, leading to a long, warming finish. Bottle variation is natural at this age.
Food pairing
Pair with braised hare, beef Wellington, slow-cooked venison with juniper, or Castelmagno cheese. Avoid lengthy aeration at first: taste on opening and allow the wine to develop gently in the glass.
Background story
The vineyard takes its name from a devout woman who once lived nearby and was known locally as “la bigotta”. Braida's wry account says that she concerned herself with the outward rules of religion; the family supplied the spirit, turning the nickname into one of its most characterful single-vineyard Barberas.
Giacomo Bologna's pioneering work with low yields and small oak barrels helped prove that Barbera could make profound, ageworthy wine. Sommelier's Choice has enjoyed a relationship with the Bologna family for over twenty years, and bottles such as this mature 2005 show the longevity behind that conviction.
