Rossore (2021)

About this wine

This is 100 percent Barbera grown by Cascina Iuli in the Monferrato hills of Piedmont. On the nose it offers ripe red and dark cherry fruit, violet floral notes, and hints of spice and leather. The palate is lively with fresh acidity, medium body, and fine but persistent tannins that give the wine structure and length. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and then matured for around 16 months in large old oak casks which adds subtle cedar and savory complexity. Producer Fabrizio Iuli makes wine in Montaldo di Cerrina and has worked organically in these vineyards for many years, and the Rossore bottling is part of his long standing Barbera range.

About the grape

Barbera is a native Piedmont grape long associated with Monferrato, prized for high natural acidity and deep color, and it became the backbone of local table wines and later DOCG bottlings. In the Rossore 2021 bottling the fruit comes from south facing parcels planted in the 1980s and 1990s, picked by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts to preserve varietal purity. Winemaking uses extended maceration of about 21 to 28 days and maturation in very large Slavonian oak casks for roughly two years, practices that highlight Barbera's structure and keep its bright acidity. The Iuli estate follows organic principles in the vineyard, which together with old vine plantings and low intervention cellar work shapes how Barbera is cultivated and expressed in this wine.

Quick facts

• 🏡 Rossore is made at Cascina Iuli in Montaldo di Cerrina, a village that today has fewer than a hundred residents and where Fabrizio Iuli is the town’s only active winegrower
• 🌿 The Iuli vineyards sit in a valley the family has owned for generations, the land has never seen chemical treatments so the estate markets it as a uniquely clean zone
• 🛢️ Rossore 2021 is 100 percent Barbera and was aged about 16 months in large oak casks, a choice that keeps the wine vivid and fruit forward while adding gentle structure
• 🕰️ Cascina Iuli began commercial winemaking in 1998 and Rossore was the early flagship that helped put this tiny producer on the map
• 🌹 The name Rossore literally means blush or redness in Italian, a playful nod to the wine’s bright ruby color and lively personality

Palate profile

Producer

Iuli is a family-owned winery located in Montaldo di Cerrina, a small village in the Monferrato region of Piedmont, Italy. The estate spans approximately 43 hectares, with 14 hectares dedicated to vineyards, and has been in the Iuli family for four generations. The vineyards are cultivated organically, adhering to biodynamic principles, and have never been exposed to chemicals, creating a unique toxin-free environment. Winemaker Fabrizio Iuli, who refers to himself as a 'Barberista' due to his dedication to the Barbera grape, has also focused on reviving nearly extinct native varieties such as Slarina and Baratuciat. The wines are produced using natural yeasts, with no fining or filtering, and minimal sulfur dioxide, reflecting a commitment to low-intervention winemaking.