The Pico Maccario winery dominates the largest single-block vineyard in Piedmont. Seventy hectares (175 acres) in one single piece makes the vineyards a true rarity. The property is located on hillsides in the province of Asti at 180 metres above sea level; the hills are of mixed soil with much clay and are planted to 58 hectares (145 acres) of Barbera, four hectares (10 acres) of Merlot, two hectares (five acres) each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc; the remaining two hectares are planted to Favorita and Freisa.
Brothers, Pico and Vitaliano Maccario, run this estate created by their grandfather, Carlo. Pico Maccario, the eldest brother, devotes himself to the production of the wine, while Vitaliano handles the marketing and commercial aspects of the business. They are highly demanding of themselves and have an exact idea of the efforts necessary to achieve the excellent results they obtain. From the beginning, the brothers have chosen modern methods to manage their vineyards and produce wine, due in equal parts to their personal taste and young age of their winery.
2022 Lavignone Barbera D'Asti DOCG
Made from 100% Barbera grown on the soft Pleistocene hills formed from fluvial and river lacustrine deposits, the grapes are picked at optimum maturity, gently crushed and macerated for 10 to 12 days. Ageing takes place in steel vats for 9 months (no oak), during which time many different decantations are done before bottling and further ageing in bottle before release in spring.
Tasting Notes
The colour of the wine is ruby red, the aroma intense and charming, with cherry, plum and red berries. The palate is complex, well-structured, harmonious and long.
Lavignone is the name of one of the farmhouses that was built on the property in the 1700s. Barbera reaches one of its finest expressions in Barbera d’Asti, which achieved DOCG status in 2008.
The rose has always been a symbol of the winery. 4500 rose plants of the same cloned variety have the duel function of marking the start of each vineyard row, and – a traditional use – of signaling vine-threatening diseases before they get the chance to do damage. The presence of these thousands of rosebushes creates a beautiful walking experience between the rows of Pico Maccario.
