Barbacarlo Lino Maga 2020

Barbacarlo is the Italian symbol of oenological craftsmanship, a peasant wine produced as it was once made by the knight Lino Maga in the hills of Broni. It is a rustic expression, mutable from year to year, unrelated to appellations, but trademarked, mythologised by the likes of Veronelli and Gianni Brera. As Lino says, 'the important thing is that they like it' and even if it is too sweet they still bottle it because the vintage must reflect the place and time. Every year a surprise and every year a new experience, never banal and always original, his Barbacarlo is the ultimate expression of Oltrepò and the utmost respect between man and land. Nature and simplicity, nothing more. Lino Maga was a character who deserved to be known in person, a true farmer from another era, strongly tied to his land. The steady, wise gaze of one who lived the vineyard and time, and that damn cigarette that accompanied him at all times. Long silences in a place of ancient memories. Talking to Lino was an unforgettable experience that went beyond the concept of wine.

The Barbacarlo wine comes from a blend of Croatina, Uva Rara and Ughetta grown in the cru of the same name, named after an old uncle Carlo ('barba' means uncle in the Pavia dialect), from centuries-old vines with very low yields. The vineyards, resting on steeply sloping tufaceous-stony soils, are cared for in a wise and peasant manner, without the use of synthetic products, and the production process involves the use of oak and chestnut barrels for fermentation, with no added yeasts. It matures in the bottle, bringing with it a possible re-fermentation that enriches it with a carbonic vein and a sweetness as caressing as it is unpredictable.

Barbacarlo Maga is an autumn red that is not easy to interpret, versatile yet changeable, destined to evolve positively in the bottle for up to 20 years. The colour tends to be very intense and concentrated, tending towards garnet red with orange reflections, with the presence of natural particles due to the absence of filtrations or clarifications. Hints of barn and countryside emerge on the nose, intertwined with notes of ripe red fruit and sweet spices. Constants include remarkable juiciness, a slight carbonic liveliness, fresh and wild developments with an earthy background, and a long, savoury and slightly bitter finish. A collar attached to the bottle illustrates the characteristics of the vintage and writes, year after year, its history. A story that has become legend.