Renato Ratti Barbera d’Alba DOC “Battaglione”

Description

Renato Ratti Barbera d’Alba DOC Battaglione is made from grapes grown in vineyards in Alba in Piedmont. Compared to Barbera d’Asti, the wines of Barbera d’Alba tend to be darker in colour and more intense and powerful.

Renato Ratti, the founder of this excellent Piedemontese winery, bought his first vineyard, a small plot in Barolo in the historical zone of Marcenasco, in 1965. He was the first producer to make a single cru Barolo, previous to this Barolo would have been blended from various vineyard sites. He was joined by his nephew, oenologist Massimo Martinelli, in 1965 and he company expanded buying many more vineyards in the Piedmont region. Pietro, Renato’s son, took over the company on 1988. Pietro is a graduate of Alba’s renowned Oenological School and continues to expand and restore the family vineyards as well as building new cellars in Annunziata in 2002. Today the vineyards are located on the hillsides of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrat regions. The family also run The Renato Ratti Museum of Barolo and the wines of Alba containing many historical documents, receptacles, presses et. from the region.

The wine is bottled in a traditional bottle shape called an “Albeisa”, derived from the name of the city of Alba. This iconic bottle shape was created by Renato Ratti in 1973 as a way of distinguishing the uniqueness of Ratti’s wines and terroirs. As will all their labels for the the last 40 years, the label features a soldier in an historic Piedm ontese army uniform of a regiment from the XVIII Century. In keeping with the military theme, the wine is named Battaglione which translates as Battalion.

Renato Ratti Barbera d’Alba DOC Battaglione is made from 100% Barbera grapes. These grapes are handpicked, destemmed and pressed. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel containers. Contact with the skins lasts approximately two weeks and the malolactic fermentation takes place in steel containers.