| There are few wines better suited to the season than those of Barbacarlo and we are very excited to share some new vintages and a wonderful grappa from this iconic and decidedly old-school producer. Lino Maga’s family has been making wine since 1886. Their vineyards cling to a very steep slope surrounded by forest in the hills outside Broni in Lombardia’s Oltrepò Pavese. Some three hundred metres above sea level, the four hectares of vines are on average fifty years old, are planted over tufo and exposed southwest. Vineyard work is decidedly old school: the Magas work by hand, avoiding the use of chemicals and come harvest time make a rigorous selection of grapes. The wines are made the same way they always have been here. They are fermented in ancient casks with no temperature control, racked with the turn of the moon and bottled with nothing added in the spring. Unusually, the wines finish fermentation in the bottle, resulting in wines that differ markedly from year to year, something Lino rejoices in, wondering why others bother to put the vintage on the label when the wines always taste the same. To taste these wines is to be transported to another time. They have an honesty and rustic charm that is difficult to find nowadays and in many ways are the perfect wines for this time of year with their black fruit and an earthy, woodsy character that evokes plenty of warmth during these cool autumn days. The Maga’s wines are now available on Tutto a Casa |