The Story
Tradition speaks through Autinbej, the newest member of Cà del Baio’s family of Barbarescos.
Autinbej evokes a bygone era when such wines were the union of Nebbiolo grapes from the best, sunniest parts of different crus. Autinbej is a tribute to Giulio Grasso’s late father, Ernesto, who often used the Piemontese word to describe the best vineyard exposures. The first Autinbej harvest was in 2014, a year generally considered difficult in other parts of Piemonte and Italy, but successful in the small enclave of the Barbaresco denomination thanks to very favorable climatic conditions that year.
Denomination: Barbaresco DOCG
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Planting of vineyards: 2008 – 2009
Soil type: Gray marl, limestone, and sand
Position: One vineyard is west-facing and the other east-facing
Harvest: Beginning of October
VINIFICATION AND AGING: Traditional red vinification of stemmed grapes, with maceration on the skins from 9 to 15 days in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The resulting wine matures for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (boti) followed by aging in bottles for at least four months before release.
TASTING PROPERTIES: The color is a deep garnet red with reflections of old pink. The nose is an intense, fruity aroma reminiscent of raspberries, jam, and violets that give an ethereal feeling accompanied by sweet spicy notes and hints of cocoa. In the mouth, Autinbej is warm, long, persistent and slightly tannic with an aftertaste of fruity notes.
PAIRING: In addition to the traditional Barbaresco pairing with red meat, Autinbej’s structure and the fruity intensity makes it an ideal pairing with duck or pork, grilled or fried, and also with sweet and sour or spicy sauces.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 18°C
STORAGE: Versatile and appealing, Autinbej expresses its great personality as early as 3 years after the harvest and can age beautifully for 10-15 years. We recommend storing the bottles in the dark at a constant temperature.
Vuosikerta 2020
High rainfall in November and December of 2019 allowed Italy’s water reserves to be restored. Initial predictions from OIV indicate a reduced overall production of 47.2mhl, down only 1% compared to 2019. We’re happy to report that despite a chaotic year for most of us, 2020 is looking like a successful vintage for many Italian producers.
Veneto: The growing season began slightly early for our Venetian growers, and with no reported problems during flowering and fruit set. Mild temperatures and precipitation from March through July were beneficial. Temperatures rose in July and early August, followed by summer storms in the flatlands of Valpolicella that were intense and created some sporadic problems due to heavy rain and some hail, but thankfully didn’t create any lasting damage. The quality and health of the grapes are good, with normal levels in sugar, in line with previous years
Piedmont: 2020 is a vintage to watch, as Barbera and Nebbiolo producers report a calm growing season, with nice weather throughout August and September. The harvest began in October and the health of the grapes is reported to be perfect, with good sugar levels and phenolic ripeness. The key contributing factor was the temperature shift between day and night, helping to develop great aromas and retain freshness.
Tuscany: The weather in Chianti and Montalcino in San Polino’s words “behaved perfectly and properly all summer long with a hot July and August interspersed with exactly the right amount of rainfall at exactly the right time.” Rain just before the harvest brought the relief vineyards needed from hot winds and the soils greedily absorbed any excess water in time for picking. The 2020 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino has less quantity than usual but its quality, San Polino reports, “is out of this world. May be one of those vintages to remember.”
Sicily: The 2020 vintage was very typical for Sicilian growers, and with no major issues. The weather was very dry throughout the year, with some drought, but not too hot, and without extensive heat waves. Mild winds gave the island a healthy environment for grapes to grow and for pickers at harvest time. At the end of July temperatures dropped and there was a lot of rain, which re-balanced reserves and slowed ripening. Thanks to a temperature range of almost 20 degrees between day and night, we can expect good acidity, balanced with phenolic ripeness in Sicilian wines from 2020.