Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2013
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The Land
Most 2013 Barbera was poured, enjoyed, and forgotten years ago. This one was still resting in Flavio Roddolo's cellar in 2025, not yet released because he judged it unready. Roddolo farms on the Bricco Appiani hill outside Monforte d'Alba, on the border with Dogliani at the southern reach of the Barolo zone. Its calcareous clay soils give Barbera d'Alba from this side of the Langhe a firmer frame and deeper color than the sandier soils across the Tanaro. The vines here have gone without chemical treatments for roughly four decades, and every grape in the bottle is grown on the estate around the farmhouse his grandparents built.
The Wine
Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2013 comes from a late, difficult year. Incessant winter and spring rain delayed budbreak and invited disease, heat arrived from mid-July through August, and a sunny, dry September carried a harvest that ran about two weeks behind schedule. Roddolo works the old way: long macerations, then aging in old oak casks, with no new wood. Past releases of this Superiore spent around 18 months in old oak before being held in steel until he decided they were ready. That patience shows. Expect dried cherry, sour plum, and dark raspberry giving way to tobacco, dried herbs, and iron. Barbera's natural acidity stays bright beneath the tertiary layers, so the wine reads lively rather than tired, with fine, dusty tannin and a long, earthy finish.
The People
Roddolo is often called the hermit of Monforte, and the label earns it. No marketing, no consultants, no shortcuts, and no English. He farms, ferments, and bottles himself, and he releases each wine when he thinks it is ready rather than when the market expects it, which is why his Barbera arrives years after his neighbors' bottles have sold through. Asked about the excitement collectors feel for his wines, he has shrugged it off: "It's only wine." The bottles reach the United States in small lots through Jan D'Amore Wines in New York, and they rarely stay on a shelf long. A 2013 Barbera from Monforte, released on its maker's terms, is a rare chance to taste what this grape becomes with real time.
Food Pairing
Make tajarin with a sauce of chicken livers, butter, and sage: Barbera's acidity slices through the richness while the dried-herb character echoes the sage. Braised rabbit with green olives and rosemary meets the wine's earthy, iron-edged middle. Roasted duck legs with a sour cherry glaze mirror the dried-fruit core and let the tannin grip the crisp skin. For a weeknight, try a wedge of aged Castelmagno with walnuts and honey, where the acid lifts the salty, crumbly cheese. Open it an hour ahead and pour it slowly over a long dinner; this is a bottle that rewards the people willing to wait for it.
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Piedmont, framed by the Alps in northwestern Italy, is a land of rolling hills and carefully cultivated vineyards. The continental climate, with its cold winters and warm summers, creates prime conditions for the Nebbiolo grape, which dominates much of the region's red wine production. The Langhe area is home to Barolo and Barbaresco, structured red wines known for their complex aromas, firm tannins, and aging potential. While Nebbiolo is the dominant grape of Piedmont, the region also makes interesting white wines like those from Arneis and Timorasso. Alto Piemonte is a separate region in the north with its own distinctive expressions of Nebbiolo, alongside other red grape varietals.
Italy - Piedmont
Piedmont's 2nd red grape behind Nebbiolo, Barbera is easy to enjoy and versitile with its low tannins and fleshy fruit. High acidity also makes it food-friendly, and flavors range from tart red berries to exotically ripe purple fruits.
