BARBARESCO RISERVA DOCG PICCOLA EMMA

Food pairings by the winemaker

• Beef
• Goat cheese
• Mature and hard cheese
• Game
• Lamb
• Pork
• Spicy food

Vinification, winemaker's own words

Soils:

Clay, Limestone

Terroir:

The vineyard is exposed to the west and south/west. It presents a medium-textured soil with limestone and clay.

Harvest:

Picked by hand

Fermentation:

-

Storage:

-

Winemaker:

PIER PAOLO GRASSO

The grape must ferments in contact with the grape skins and seeds. This stage, known as maceration, allows the wine to extract colour, aromas, tannins, and structure. After crushing and destemming, the must is transferred into temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks. Here, naturally occurring yeasts convert the grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, initiating the fermentation process. During the first days of maceration, the wine mainly extracts anthocyanins, the natural pigments responsible for the deep ruby and violet hues of red wines. As fermentation progresses, the extraction of polyphenols and tannins increases, giving the wine greater complexity, structure, and ageing potential. Fermentation temperature is a key factor and is generally maintained between 24°C and 30°C (75–86°F) to encourage optimal extraction while preserving elegance and aromatic quality. During fermentation, the grape skins naturally rise to the surface, forming what is known as the cap. To ensure continuous contact between the liquid and solid parts of the must, several cellar techniques are used: • Punching down (Pigeage): the cap is gently pushed back into the fermenting must. • Pump-over (Remontage): the must is drawn from the bottom of the tank and sprayed over the cap. • Rack and Return (Délestage): the fermentation tank is temporarily emptied, and the wine is then returned to oxygenate and thoroughly mix the fermenting mass. The length of maceration depends on the desired wine style. It may be relatively short for fresh, fruit-forward wines, or considerably longer for wines intended for extended ageing and long-term evolution. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine is drawn off the skins (racking), separating the liquid from the pomace. The remaining grape skins are then gently pressed to recover the wine still retained within them. The wine continues its journey through ageing and maturation, either in stainless steel tanks or in oak barrels, depending on the style of wine, before completing its evolution in the bottle.

Meet the wine maker