Barbaterre: pinot noir has taken root in the Matilda lands

In the lands that were the reign of Matilde di Canossa, on the first hills from which the Tosco Emiliani Apennines pass between Parma and Reggio Emilia, pinot noir has found a home in Barbaterre , the organic winery now owned by Franco Garzotti and Maria Grazia Lugo . The surveys carried out in the soil, when the company was founded in 2002 by the previous owner, a great Champagne lover, have in fact demonstrated the great adaptability of this international vine to the soapy clay that characterizes the soils of Barbaterre. Today Franco and Maria Grazia, who acquired the company in 2017 , carry it forward with respect for nature and with the aim of producing wines that are faithful to the territory , while giving ample emphasis to pinot noir, unusual but excellent interpreter of this terroir. The philosophy of Barbaterre can be summarized in a few words: from the vineyards cultivated according to nature, authentic wines are born, expression of the vintage and of the hand of man, which accompanies them from the vineyard to the cellar and which change every year according to the seasons and production . The 5 hectares of pinot noir vineyards are located on land ranging from 330 to 400 meters high, in a sunny and breezy area with almost completely southern exposure, and rich in limestone, which helps to give freshness and liveliness to the wines. with chalky veins and reduced presence of skeleton. The steep slope of the land, which in some cases even reaches 30%, favors the drainage of water. The plants are between 15 and 20 years old, the training system is the simple Guyot, for those areas where the soil is poorer in nutrients, and double Guyot in the presence of a richer substrate. From the Pinot Noir grapes Barbaterre produces four wines: three classic method with long aging on the lees, declinations of the “must flower” - Blanc de Noirs, Marandalé, Rosé - and Pèder , a still red aged in large wood for at least 18 months. “Our variations of pinot - declares Maria Grazia Lugo - like all our wines, are full expression of the infinite potential of the Reggio area where the cellar and the vineyards are located. We believe that our wines are tailor-made works, the result of constant attention that goes from the care of the vineyard to the mastery of winemaking, for a refined and tailor-made production, with the assiduous and constant presence of Franco Garzotti ". Blanc de Noirs , a classic method with a stop on the lees for at least 36 months, comes from the selection of the best bunches from mid-hill vineyards. Rosé is the rosé version of Barbaterre's pinot noir, aged at least 36 months on the lees and produced only in the best vintages. Marandalé is a vintage blanc de noirs aged for 60 months, whose name is a tribute to the sons of Grazia and Franco: Marco, Andrea and Alessandra. Full expression of maturity for this international grape is Pèder , “the father” in the Reggio dialect, a wine that maintains the characteristics of pinot noir unaltered, making them meet the characteristics of the place.