Cantina di Nizza Magister Barbera d’Asti Superiore 2023
£18.25
The wine
The Superiore bottling from a co-operative that has made Barbera its business. Expect the depth and structure the Superiore designation demands, with the dark cherry fruit and bright acidity that make Barbera d’Asti such a reliable partner at the table.
Cantina di Nizza was founded in 1955 and today numbers 200 members farming 550 hectares around Nizza Monferrato. Barbera accounts for more than 60 per cent of everything they harvest, which tells you where the priorities lie: in Alba the best sites go to Nebbiolo, but in Asti that privilege belongs to Barbera. Director and winemaker Giovanni Chiarle oversees the whole of production with the stated aim of letting the quality of the fruit speak. Nizza Monferrato sits at the heart of the Barbera d’Asti zone, and the Superiore rules ask for lower yields and longer ageing than the straight appellation.
The producer
Cantina di Nizza
View all Cantina di Nizza winesIn the rolling hills of the Monferrato, around the town of Nizza in the Piedmontese heartland of Barbera, this small cantina makes reds of real character. Barbera d'Asti is the local hero, a grape of juicy fruit and bright, food-loving acidity that has fed the region's tables for centuries.
Grown on south-facing slopes and made with a modern, careful hand, the wines balance vivid dark fruit with genuine structure. They keep Barbera's trademark freshness while adding depth and a savoury, gently spiced edge.
Supple, savoury and made for the table, these are wines that give Piedmont's charm without the Piedmont price tag. They are honest, characterful reds to drink rather than contemplate.
Serve at cool room temperature, and pour them freely with pasta, roast meats and everything else you love to eat.
