Wine Tasting: Microcosmo (Cantine Barbera)

Microcosmo, Perricone and Nerello Mascalese.
Vineyards are complex ecosystems where plants, animals, insects and a great variety of micro-organisms live together in perfect harmony. It is a sensitive environment that any human intervention must respect, trying to adapt itself to the life of nature and striving to generate a dynamic microcosm rich of vital energy. In the vineyard of Microcosmo, Perricone lives together with Nerello Mascalese, creating a field blend of two different Sicilian varieties that are considered a single entity, where the main focus is not capturing the distinct characteristics of different grapes, but their harmony within the vineyard. In the vineyard of Microcosmo, the soil is deep and fertile and is made by clay banks that allow fresh mountain waters to flow South from the upper region of the Belice Valley. It is dark and very rich in minerals, and is able to provide the vines with all necessary nutrients that are enhanced with organic green manure once a year. Dominant breezes blow from the ocean during the day, and from the North during the night: this constant air flow cools down the temperatures during the summer and contributes to prevent humidity stagnation. The grapes are hand picked at the end of August and carefully selected after the harvest, then delivered to the winery where they are destemmed and crushed. Fermentation starts from a pied-de-cuve of indigenous yeast in huge wooden vats, where manual stirrings of the cap allows a slow natural extraction of colour and aromas with no use of oenological additives. After two weeks, the wine is pressed and completes its malolactic fermentation in wooden barrels, where it is refined for about one year with a minimum amount of sulfites. The wine is nor fined not filtered before the bottling. Like all natural wines, Microcosmo needs time to express its full aromatic potential, but is able to deliver an intense tasting experience to whom is capable to patiently wait until its complete development in the glass: a bright and intense ruby red color preludes to aromas of red ripe fruit that are typical expression of both grape varieties, and to an intense, minty fresh and saline touch that belongs to the essence of terroir. In the freshest vintages, aromatic scents of sweet bay-leaf and the finest spices enrich its complex bouquet. It is pleasant, tasty and round to the palate, and its fine though firm tannins together with a fresh acidity evolve into a long and intense aftertaste.