Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza La Court 2017

In the three Piedmont areas where our establishments exist - Langhe, Monferrato and Gavi - we have at our disposal 110 hectares of vineyards: 60 hectares owned by our family and also the 50 hectares under longterm leasing contracts. A technical staff, headed by Stefano Chiarlo, handles the running of the vineyards and is entrusted with the task of scrupulously overseeing their cultivation,with the aim of achieving high quality wines while respecting the most exacting ecological criteria. In particular, the following procedures are adhered to: a balanced and rigorous pruning depending on the oenological goals: fungicidal treatments using products with low environmental impact, following the technique of guided pest control meticulous manual exfoliation; turfing between the rows; no use of anti-mould products. In the 1980s we realised that an extraordinary increase in quality could be achieved by ensuring a reduced yield per rootstock - very low yield for top wines and a particularly moderate one for classic wines - by means of a rigorous thinning-out of the grape bunches;we were among the first producers in Piedmont to adopt said method. Lastly, carrying out the harvest on the basis of the phenolic ripeness of the grapes has enabled us to produce wines of greater intensity and with more harmonious flavours. A vineyard located in great terroirs together with a careful and zealous management of same are the real "secrets" behind production of the highest quality. Our main aims have always been to having vineyards that are situated only on prestigious hillsides and on focusing most of our efforts on meticulously cultivating them, trying to improve their management year by year.