Can you win a wine competition with beauty? The answer is yes. All you need is your name, Castellinaldo Doc, the only sub-zone recognized for Barbera d’Alba. The “gold medal” for packaging goes to the super-red from the Marchisio Family: its splendid label won over the jury of RossoBarbera, the important event in Costigliole d’Asti. A triumph: the Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba from the Marchisio house won the first prize, “Guido di Costigliole”, 2024 edition, beating 400 labels presented by 200 producers from the Langhe, Monferrato and Roero.
«We are delighted with this certificate, which – starting from the label, created thirty years ago – rewards first and foremost our territory, well represented by the Vinaioli del Castellinaldo association». They were the first to believe in this spectacular Barbera: it comes from old vines and is refined in acacia barrels for 12-18 months, before undergoing a further evolution of 6 months in the bottle. Last but not least, adds Francesca Marchisio, «we would also like to thank the painter Enza Prunotto for having given us one of her wonderful paintings, “Ove s’attarda il sole”».
The platform of the award assigned at the Costigliole Castle is authoritative: RossoBarbera (1-4 November) stands out as the largest tasting bench dedicated to the Barbera grape variety. Visitors were offered a fabulous tasting journey inside the halls of the castle, framed in red thanks to the suggestive luminous scenography with the logo of the event. Under the guidance of the sommeliers of the Ais, enthusiasts enjoyed a legendary tasting of iconic labels and historic vintages, accompanied by Piedmontese gastronomic delights.
There was also space for wine culture, thanks to the ideas offered in the Barbera Academy section: the demand for quality wines is growing, among which Barbera can reach surprising heights. This is the case of Castellinaldo, made official in 2021 as a territorial hyper-excellence of Barbera d’Alba. That of the Marchisio Family presents itself as a graceful and profound Barbera, rich in reverberations. The impulses of the subsoil are sublimated by the sun and then expertly decanted, thanks to the slow evolution in the soft acacia wood.
Three years ago, Sergio Marchisio greeted the sub-zone’s milestone with these words: «It’s an immense satisfaction to see one’s efforts recognized, after thirty years of family commitment: now finally our Castellinaldo will be able to show the Municipality’s denomination on the label, synonymous with renowned excellence». And speaking of labels: the one now celebrated in Costigliole with the first prize in the “Vestire la Barbera” competition shows the fascinating Castellinaldo fortress with its castle, around which the historic center of the village is perched.
Honor to the past, first of all: «The village of Castellinaldo has always been Barbera land, before I planted the first Arneis vines in the history of our village». The unrivaled Barbera of those hills is now produced in 200,000 bottles by dozens of producers spread between Castellinaldo, Magliano Alfieri, Priocca, Canale, Vezza d’Alba, Castagnito and Guarene. The specifications are rigorous: limited yield and vines at least thirty years old, grown at an altitude of between 250 and 350 meters. The result: an adult Barbera d’Alba, capable of expressing the character that only Roero can give to native wines born from red grape varieties. All the more reason to celebrate, if the absolute value of the terroir today also allows you to “win in beauty”.
