Press Release November 12, 2007. With 3 days of intensive tasting, the 21 judges of the Third International Barbera Competition have left the town of Alessandria (Piedmont, Italy) having greatly completed their task of choosing among the 313 entries the best Barberas of 2007.
The tasting Commissions were composed for by wine experts (winemakers, oenologists) and wine writers from UK, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Spain, France, Germany and, on a minority basis, Italy.
In the tasting the official score sheet of the Union des Oenologues has been used, but this year it has been completed by specific sections where the judges have been asked to draw a sensory profile of the tasted wine by using a selected list of descriptors and to express an overall judgment as if they were consumers.
The new score sheet, developed in collaboration with the CDV (Concours des Vins, Bordeaux, France) has the double goal of providing the participants more detailed feedback on the appreciation of their wines by an international jury of experts and of allowing interesting sensorial studies on the different styles in which the Barbera can be declined.
The excellence of Barbera on the market on 2007 is represented by 49 wines which have received the Diploma Monferrato Festival, valuable award given to the entries which have obtained a total score of 85/100 or higher.
Only 15% of the tasted wines succeeded in reaching this score, confirming the International Barbera Competition as one of the most selective competition in Europe.
Twenty-one awarded wines were produced in the area of Asti, 12 at Alessandria, 9 in Cuneo region, 3 at Pavia, 1 at Piacenza, 2 in California (USA) and 1 in McLaren Vale (South Australia).
Thirty-seven out of 49 awarded wines are DOC almost exclusively produced with Barbera grapes, but also 10 blends with more than 50% Barbera have reached the threshold confirming the flexibility of the Barbera and its attitude to successfully marry with other variety.
Even 2 sparkling Barbera, a type of product which has a local traditional market and some outstanding representatives, have been awarded.
The final tasting session has regarded the best ranked in each category, and has identified the winners of the medals, whose complete list is attached.
The Gold Medals – the wines which have obtained the highest score in their category – have been given to:
- MEZZAVILLA 2006, Barbera d’Alba produced by Az. Agr. Malabaila of Canale (Cuneo, Italy)
Gold Medal Cat. 1 (DOC Italian wines produced with at least 85% of Barbera grapes):
- MONTEROVERE 2004, Monferrato Rosso produced by Cantine Sant'Agata dei F.lli Cavallero in Scurzolengo (Asti, Italy)
Gold Medal cat. 2 (DOC and IGT Italian wines produced with at least 50% of Barbera grapes):
- MASINO 2006, Barbera del Monferrato Frizzante produced by Casa Vinicola Marenco in Strevi (Alessandria, Italy);
Gold Medal cat. 3 (DOC o IGT Italian sparkling wines produced with at least 50% of Barbera grapes):
- BARBERA 2006, produced by Chalk Hill Wines in McLaren Vale, South Australia
Gold Medal cat. 4 (non Italian wines produced with at least 50% of Barbera grapes):
Having obtained the absolute best score in the final tasting, the wine
MEZZAVILLA 2006, Barbera d’Alba produced by Az. Agr. Malabaila
Is also awarded as BARBERA CHAMPION 2007
The Diplomas and the Medals will be received by the producers of the winning wines during a special Award Ceremony.
The International Barbera Competition is organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Alessandria, through its branch ASPERIA, in collaboration with the Piedmont Region, the Alessandria Province and the Foundation Savings and Loan Company of Alessandria.
Technical partners are also Vinidea (Ponte dell’Olio, Italy), the ONAV association (Asti, Italy) and, since this year, the CDV (Concours des Vins, Bordeaux, France). This last organizes in Bordeaux the prestigious competitions Challenge International du Vin and Les Cittadelles du Vin.
More information on the International Barbera Competition and high definition pictures are available through ASPERIA asperia@al.camcom.it Tel. +39.0131.313.239
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