Michele Chiarlo – Nizza La Court Vigna Veja – 2010

Michele Chiarlo is one of the figures who contributed to the revolution of quality wines in Piedmont. Coming from a family of winemakers in Monferrato, after having finished his studies at the enological school of Alba in the 1950’s he started his adventure as a wine producer in Calamandrana where the winery is still located today. He was a visionary and a dreamer, he immediately understood which were the best expositions and grapes on which to focus on, especially in a period of misery and abandonment of the countryside. During the years the winery invested in the purchase of new vineyards such as the historical hill La Court in the heart of Monferrato, from which the most renowned Barbera of the winery comes from, in Gavi for the production of white wines and finally two vineyards in the Barolo area such as cru Cerequio (from which was born Palas Cerequio, a resort surrounded by vineyards) and the famous Cannubi. Today the winery manages 110 hectares of land, establishing itself on the market as a worldwide reference point for the production of Barbera, Gavi and Barolo. The style in the winery and in the vineyard has always been traditional, both for the use of wooden barrels used for fermentations as well, and most of all for the attention paid to the work in the vineyard by avoiding the use of chemical products, doing only manual work and aggressive thinning. Moreover the winery has always had at heart the safeguarding of the territory, opening an open air artistic park among vineyards collaborating with international artists such as Ugo Nespolo, Giancarlo Ferraris. Wines of great territorial expression, which can give remarkable results over time thanks to their complexity.

Barbera is the most important grape variety for Michele Chiarlo, he was the first to understand the potential of this grape and the first to carry out the malolactic fermentation in order to obtain a much more elegant wine, thanks to years of hard work in the 80s he obtained the first worldwide recognition and today his Barbera is known “All over the world”! La Court is the Barbera par excellence of the company that comes from the oldest vineyard on the hill. A wine that is produced only in 3000 bottles, structured, rich, powerful but perfectly balanced.

• Producer: Michele Chiarlo
• Name: Nizza La Court Vigna Veja
• Grape Variety: 100% Barbera
• Vintage: 2010
• Alcohol Content: 14,5%
• Bottle Size: 750ml

Productive Notes: Fermentation in oak vats with fermentation on the skins for about 20 days. Aging for 2 years in oak barrels.