MATCHVINO

Who: Marilena Barbera

Where: Menfi, Agrigento • Sicily - Italy

Land:  12 hectares, 70 meters above sea level

Grapes: Grillo, Catarratto, Perricone, Catanese, Alicante, Nero d’Avola, Frappato

Appellation: Menfi DOC + Terre Siciliane IGT

Viticulture: Natural / Biodynamic = non-invasive winemaking practices

A bit about winemaking + yeast: “I make my wines practicing organic farming and natural winemaking while paying utmost respect to Menfi's terroir. No herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are ever allowed in the vineyard, nor any other systemic farm chemicals that may alter the environment's integrity and its rich biodiversity. At the winery, I choose to work only with spontaneous fermentation and to adopt non-invasive winemaking practices, in order to respect the unique personality of Sicilian native grape varieties and the beautiful land to which they belong.

In the southwestern seaside town of Menfi, where the Belice River naturally flows into the deep blue Mediterranean Sea, is where you will find Marilena Barbera, more than likely with a big smile and always with deep eyes. Menfi is a hidden paradise: sandy dunes, dwarf palms, wild anise, rich culture, bright sunshine, and a fresh cooling breeze. Proprietor and winemaker Marilena Barbera was reared in this garden of Eden, her family has been grape producers for three generations. She is a passionate woman highly commitment to natural/sustainable viticulture that thoroughly respects the environment where she lives and works with her family and her many, many dogs.

While she still grows the ‘experimental’ grapes that her father chose over 30 years ago, Marilena embraces the region’s grape varieties with vigor: Inzolia, Grillo, Perricone, Nerello, Alicante and Nero d’Avola, these are hers. Marilena Barbera’s white wines tend to have an unmatched vibrant, zestful salinity. The mild winters and warm dry summers paired with the intense temperature ranges between night and day impart tasty, ripe berries with a touch of sweetness that smell of the land and sea.  Marilena uses only indigenous yeast for fermentation- selected and reproduced in the vineyards. The wines do not contain GMO and have very low levels of sulfites. No tricks, no illusions just fabulous handmade wines.

Marilena executes 4 series of wines every year- we present you with 3.

‘EASY MENFI’ SERIES: 100% no frills wines, easy to drink and share with friends, a stress-free way to discover Menfi and its distinct character.

‘Ti Vitti, Sicilian: I have seen you
Inzolia is primarily a native Sicilian grape variety. Marilena Barbera’s is a prime example of how delicious it can be when grown properly and made under a focused eye. From the La Costa vineyard in the Belice Valley, this wine has pleasant aromas of fresh blossoms, well balanced with a satisfying amount of natural acidity. It is no wonder that Gambero Rosso awarded it 2 glasses.

WINEMAKING: Harvesting at night, when the grapes are crisp and crunchy, is the best way to preserve their fresh aromatic expression and to minimize oxidation phenomena.
Marilena pays the utmost attention to very fast and non-invasive winemaking: the grapes are destemmed immediately after the harvest; after a few hours of pre-fermentative skin contact, the must is softly pressed then decanted at a low temperature in stainless steel vessels. Fermentation is performed exclusively with a wild yeast pied-de-cuve prepared a few days before the harvest.
The wine is refined on its fine lees for about 3/4 months and is then bottled without any fining additives that may alter its unique personality and expressive taste.

La bambina, Italian: the baby. La Bambina is Marilena’s baby- is a pleasant expression of Nero d’Avola grapes, harvested at night to preserve its freshest delicate aromas. Its color is a pale delicate copper, with a touch of salmon rose. To the nose, fresh and charming scents of wisteria blossoms merge into fruity tones of wild strawberries, watermelon, and citrus skin. On the palate, it is fresh and well balanced, with a pleasant and long-lasting finish.

WINEMAKING: Nero d'Avola grapes usually get ripe about the first week of September. I usually pick a few days in advance, to preserve fresher and more delicate aromas, which are a distinctive feature of La Bambina rosé wine. Immediately brought to the winery, the grapes are destemmed as fast as possible and the berries are softly pressed with no skin contact: light color and freshness are preserved by decanting the must in stainless steel tanks, and the fermentation starts from a pied-de-cuve of wild yeast. The wine is then refined sur lie for a few months: the lees are manually stirred every week, in order to reach a satisfying degree of proteic stability with no additives nor fining agents.

Lu Corí is Corsican: the heart. Typical hot Sicilian summers are not so common in Menfi. Here, the fresh sea breeze creates a microcosm perfect for growing grapes. This is why the grapes are never too ripe or sweet, granting the wine a vibrant, unique personality.

Marilena Barbera’s Nero d’Avola is a brilliant ruby red with a touch of violet. Its bouquet shows marine and spicy perfumes with notes of fully ripe watermelon. On the palate, it is fragrant and full, with soft and velvety tannins.

WINEMAKING: Nero d'Avola is picked during the first half of September when the tannins reach a perfect phenolic ripeness, and the berries display an intense dark blue color.
The grapes are brought to the winery immediately after the harvest, destemmed and crushed, and then delivered to stainless steel tanks.

The fermentation doesn't start immediately because she likes to extract the fresher, fruity aromas from the skins through a short pre-fermentative maceration. This is possible by lowering the tanks' temperature to 50-52 °F, which slows down the natural activity of wild yeast until the must is brought again to about 65 °F in 24-36 hours. After cold maceration, the fermentation starts spontaneously and lasts about 6 days. Pumping-overs and déléstages are performed daily to enhance the wine's aromatic complexity.

Malolactic fermentation and refining are also in stainless steel tanks.
The wine is then bottled without fining agents or thermic treatments; depending on the vintage, gentle filtration may be necessary.

The vineyard of Notrix Perricone was planted in January 2017 in the western part of Vigne al Pozzo.

At the end of September, the grapes are hand-picked in small baskets and immediately brought to the winery for destemming and crushing. Maceration on the skins lasts about six days, and the must ferments with wild yeast in stainless steel tanks. After soft pressing and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine refines in large neutral Slavonian oak casks for three months.

NoTrix is not fined nor filtered, and it fully develops its personality for 2/3 years after the harvest. It’s a medium-bodied and very easy-drinking red wine. It has a lively ruby color with violet shades. To the nose, a playful bouquet of red berries and geranium flowers meets intense scents of fine herbs and sweet spices. Firm but smooth tannins enrich a medium-bodied palate, with notes of star anise and ginger standing out against a persistent saline background.

NoTrix pairs well with red meats, pasta dishes, and cheeses, and it is a very interesting companion to spicy fish soups and grilled tuna fish. Its delicate though direct palate can complement prosciutto crudo as well as fresh salami, and medium-aged cheeses.

‘TERROIR’ SERIES:

“A pure expression of my homeland, the deep bond between my vineyards and the place where they belong.” -M. Barbera
From 5 vineyards sites, using 5 indigenous grapes - ending with 5 Cru wines. We happily extend 3 to you.

Fully ripe and expressive fruits meld with the minerality of the rich Sicilian soil and the saltiness of the fair ocean breeze to create a complex white wine of distinguishing taste and vibrant straw color. Hints of grapefruit, pineapple, meadow nettle, and herbs, add layers of intricacy.

WINEMAKING: The Grillo is harvested between the first and second week of September, slightly earlier than full ripening, to preserve its natural acidity and the freshest and more intense varietal flavors.

The grapes are brought to the winery right after the harvest. They are immediately de-stemmed and delivered to stainless steel tanks for a 36-hour pre-fermentative maceration. Then, the must ferments with all the skins in steel tanks for about 7 days. After soft pressing, the fermentation continues without the skins until the wine is bone-dry.

Depending on the vintage, Coste al Vento can undergo a full or a limited malolactic fermentation: under no circumstances will I interfere with its natural evolution, convinced as I am that the wine should represent each vintage's characteristics and terroir's personality. For this reason, and because I do not practice fining nor filtration, Coste al Vento is generally released after a few months in the bottles and acquires more complexity while aging for a couple of years.

Over the past 90 years, the Inzolia plantings have adapted to the soil and climate, slowly and naturally modifying themselves to become different from the last—much like the family that has artfully farmed them. E pluribus unum- out of many, one Marilena Barbera’s

Dietro le Case Inzolia has a rich, complex bouquet of white flowers, perfectly ripe melon, yellow clingstone peaches, cedar, and a touch of wild thyme. Its radiant bright strawflower yellow glistens in the glass and possesses a balanced acidity with an intense and mineral taste that is the backbone of this delightful wine. Persistent and pleasantly pleasing.

WINEMAKING: Harvest in the Dietro le Case vineyard is usually during the first half of September when the Inzolia grapes reach their optimal ripeness. The traditional pruning system, which we call "a pezzo e spalla", and the age of the vines allow slow constant ripening cycles and a great aromatic concentration.

The grapes are handpicked and immediately brought to the winery, where they are destemmed and undergo a 24-hour maceration with the skins to extract their primary aromas. After soft pressing, the must decants naturally at a cold temperature and ferments with wild yeast in stainless steel tanks at about 18 °C.

After fermentation, the wine is refined on its fine lees for about five months in steel tanks. Cold stabilization is performed at cold temperatures without any chemical fining additives. Gentle filtration is performed through compostable cellulose layers.

The origins of Frappato date back to the foundation of the Greek colony of Kamarina, which dates back to 598 BC. Here, this vine, belonging to the Nerelli family, has found, over the centuries, climatic and environmental conditions suitable for a typical and independent evolution from that which took place on the slopes of the Etna. It evolved into the variety we know today and then spread to many areas of Sicily.

It goes well with first courses such as fish soup and vegetable couscous, swordfish and bluefish, white meats, and cheeses typical of the Menfi area, such as Vastedda and Pecorino primo sale.

Marilena Barbera | ‘Microcosmo’

Menfi DOC

Microcosmo is a bright and complex treat. Red ripe fruits partner with the enticing balsamic scents of sweet bay leaf and mellow spices. It is soft and round on the palate, making it an easy wine to enjoy. Velvety tannins and a fresh mineral structure facilitate Microcosmo’s energetic lingering taste. Always a pleaser.

GRAPE: 90% Perricone and about 10% Catanese [aka, Nerello Mascalese] Single-vineyard
SOIL: alluvial clay soil
VINEYARD: established 2006
WINEMAKING: skin maceration for about 14 days
FERMENTATION: spontaneous with wild yeast
REFINING: French tonneaux and stainless steel tanks
AVERAGE PRODUCTION: 2.500 bottles/year

A homage to the vineyard and all its goodness, nature working together in perfect harmony. Her approach to interfering with this complex structure is light-handed- only assisting when the situation becomes dire. Her low-impact methods pay off. The sustainable farm is most healthy and her wines, especially this Perricone and Nerello Mascalese blend, are always delicious representations of the earth they are cultivated on.

WINEMAKING: The Microcosmo vineyard was planted in January 2007 with old clones of Perricone and Nerello Mascalese (Catanese), mixed to generate that particular varietal complexity that makes this vineyard so fascinating.

Though genetically different, the vines develop a strong interdependence and can reach their full ripening point almost immediately. Therefore, I thoroughly sample the grapes throughout August to understand when it is the best time for harvesting, which is normally due at the end of the month.

Handpicked in small baskets, the grapes are brought to the winery for immediate destemming and crushing. Maceration on the skins lasts about two weeks, and they must ferment with wild yeast in stainless steel tanks at 25-28 °C. After soft pressing, the wines completes its spontaneous malolactic in very used French barriques and then refines in tonneaux for 3 months, and in stainless steel tanks for 1 more year.

The wine is not fined nor filtered and refines in bottles a few months before being released to the market. Although somehow tight and grumpy when very young, Microcosmo loosens up after one or two years and has long aging potential that can fully express the wine's personality after 4/5 years from the harvest.

‘HAND MADE’ SERIES:

“In a world dominated by industrial processes and homologation, human hands and creativity are the values we need to come back to.” -M.Barbera

WINEMAKING: From beginning to end, Marilena uses no machinery nor electricity. PUNTO
The grapes are destemmed and squeezed by hand, and they ferment spontaneously with the skins for about one week in small steel tanks with no temperature control. The stirring of the cap is manual, as well as the soft pressing, which is performed with the help of one traditional wooden screw press. The wine is transferred to French tonneaux at the end of the fermentation, and the malolactic fermentation is completed without any enological additives. The wine is not fined nor filtered; it is bottled through gravity directly from the barrels, keeping part of the natural sediments, and is corked manually. She then walks it to the shore, rows over the USA, and delivers it herself. Ok, the last sentence is a joke- the rest is real, so very real, with each vintage numbered in the corner.

With a golden color and a cloudy texture, Ammàno has a bouquet of orange blossoms and yellow broom, apricot notes, and the savory Mediterranean shrub: thyme, marjoram, oregano, and a hint of incense. It is dry and full on the palate, with a distinct saline finish.

Ammàno is made only with grapes and hands.
”It's just a small tribute to those who, before me, have realized how extraordinary the Zibibbo is and how wonderful the wine it gives us. Winemakers have done the job for 20 centuries without pumps, filters, or electricity. To them my gratitude for showing me the way.”

Pour Ammàno in wide Chardonnay glasses at a fresh but not chilled temperature.
Please avoid freezers and blast chillers, as well as a prolonged time in your home refrigerator. This wine is not filtered nor fined, and any temperature below 40 °F will mortify its complex aromas and will cause tartaric precipitations.
For a more enjoyable tasting experience, you may keep the bottle vertically during slow refrigeration, allowing the sediments to collect at the bottom. Every glass of wine will taste different from the other, and you will enjoy a wine that gets richer and richer until the end of the bottle.

Alicante is a Spanish grape introduced in Sicily during the dominations of the XV-XVI centuries. Grown in several Mediterranean regions, it is also known as Garnacha, Grenache, and Cannonau. The unique microclimate influences this Alicante in Menfi, where the sea brine enhances the grapes' fruity flavors and underlines their natural acidity, enriching the wine's personality with a special saline touch.

WINEMAKING: The harvest occurs about the end of August when the Alicante grapes reach a perfect balance between acidity, ripe tannins, and great aromatic concentration. Taken to the winery immediately after the harvest, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, and the maceration lasts for about two weeks in a large neutral Slavonian oak cask. Manual punching downs are carried out several times a day until the end of spontaneous alcoholic fermentation.

Malolactic is also spontaneous in very used barriques. After it stops, the wine is returned to the oak cask, which refines for at least six months without any additives or fining agents. Ciàtu is bottled without filtration and will be ready to drink after a minimum of 6-12 months of aging in the bottle.

Ciàtu is not fined or filtered, which will benefit its structure and longevity if you follow some basic rules for a greatly satisfying tasting. Store the bottle in a horizontal position and make it stand for a few hours before you want to open it to allow the sediments to collect at the bottom. Please pay attention while pouring the last glass, which is the one where some sediments may deposit.