The use of wood, whether it is French oak, or Slavonian, whether it is barrels of different dimensions, the time of aging, the various toasting, because of all these details, it demands attention and respect.
The mastery is the wise and equilibrated use, to create a perfect balance between the wine that ages in and the aromas of the wood itself.
Mysterium is our Barbera d’Asti Superiore which refines in wooden barrels for at least 18 months.
It’s the uniqueness Barbera of Tenuta Montemagno, as the grapes come from the most ancient vineyards and tell its story. Actually, the Barbera d’Asti is the identity of this corner of Monferrato as well as of Tenuta Montemagno, which has its roots in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti.
The ambition of Tiziano Barea, owner of Tenuta Montemagno and the oenologue Gianfranco Cordero, is preserve the beauty of this grape through a wise and careful use of aging.
The manual harvest of Barbera grapes for Mysterium is medium late, with a further selection of the grapes during the harvest process, so as to reduce the yield per hectare to 65 q, compared to the 90 provided for in the production specification.
Pumping over and fermentation takes place with the Nectar system, which does not use mechanical components during the operating cycle. All this happens thanks to the natural CO2 emission of the wine that is formed during the process.
This procedure allows the preservation of the organoleptic characteristics of the grape variety.
Starting from this imported assumption, the aging in wood that follows the malolactic fermentation provides that the wine is separated in 3 equal parts:
- The first part stays in barrique – Allier oak, medium toasting, second hands barrels. The second portion refines in tonneau, French oak, again second passage oaks; the toasting is strongest. The remaining hectoliters will age in Slavonian oak barrels, 2500 liters of capacity.
During
reserved to the barrels, is dark, at controlled temperature and with a constant humidity tax for keeping the elasticity and salubrity of the wood and, consequently, the quality of the wines that is aging inside.
Why 3 oak barrels of different dimensions and made of diverse oaks?
Because it is fundamental the constant exchange that is created between wood and wine, between each other’s aromas.
The peculiarities of the Barbera, the vine with the lowest level of tannins among the varieties, make this process even more interesting and enhance and strengthen the traits that are its identity, typical of the composition of the soil where our Barbera grows up: marls astiane, calcareous/clayey, with alkaline pH and good salinity.
The deep ruby red color becomes intense, with violet and black reflections. The bouquet of red fruits and flowers is full, with hints of jam, of ripe fruit; hints of vanilla and spices, which represent the secondary scents, proper to the passage in wooden barrels.
Finally, the evolution of aromas leads us to tertiary, cocoa and balsamic sensations. On the palate, the acidity is tamed by tannin and becomes soft, and well balanced. It is almost velvety.
Above all, the gustatory and olfactory persistence is surprising. The latter evolves opening to wider and more differentiated sensations.
Mysterium is an example of the versatility of Barbera and how the intelligent and wise use of aging in wood, respecting the vine, gives a complex and modern wine, versatile and fascinating, with body and intensity.
Mysterium has been prized at the last edition of Mundus Vini – International Wine Competition, with the gold Medal and with 93 points by Decanter Magazine.
Mysterium, Barbera d’Asti Superiore docg is the Barbera that tells about us and represents us.
“This wine is inspired by my grandmother, Marina Portalupi, who immigrated to Northern California from Piemonte, Italy. She believed wine was a staple, like milk and bread, and kept a barrel of her vino di tavola in her small grocery store. Every day, customers would fill their empty milk bottles to take home and pass around the dinner table. Vaso di Marina is a rustic yet refined wine in that same tradition and we hope you’ll enjoy it the same way.”
Tasting Notes
The Barbera is a versatile and charming variety, capable of being the protagonist: the TM24 and TM36 Brut, are both another expression of its potential. They are sparkling wines born from the synergy of intuition and innovation. The idea to have the Metodo Classico of 100% Barbera that refines on yeasts for 24 (TM24) and 36 months (TM36) is astonishing.
This was Runquist’s third year in a row winning “Winery of the Year” at Berger’s competition and the fourth time in the last five years he has received this distinction. Runquist earned the David Stevens Memorial Trophy at the competition, awarded to him for the feat of earning 10 awards of gold or above from his 35 entries. Jeff Runquist Wines was also their Red Sweepstakes Winner, with the 2017 “R” Petite Sirah, Enver Salman Vineyard, Clarksburg garnering Best of Class Triple Gold.
There are over 200 years of wine history in the area, with the first grapes, table grapes, being planted before the 16th century. Jesuit priests reactivated winemaking in the Tijuana area in 1791. In the 1800s the Dominicans came in, the Jesuits were out, and planting began north of Ensenada. By the 1900s Russian Molokans fled Russia and they too settled in Baja.
I’ve written more than once about Jake Bilbro and the outstanding wines that he is making at Limerick Lane.