Barbera is a productive variety and ripens late, typically with high acidity, even in warm climates. It is an ancient variety; thirteenth century Italian cathedral archives reveal that vineyard land contracts provided for the planting of “vitibus barbexinis”. In Italy it was known as the “people's wine” as most growers overcropped the vines to provide vast quantities of thin, but cheap, red wine. Barbera was introduced in California by Italian immigrants but it wasn't until the 1960's that growers began to treat the grape seriously by cropping the vine normally, harvesting only ripe grapes and using oak barrels for maturation. Navarro's Barbera was grown at Al Tollini's ranch in Redwood Valley on highly desirable red sandy loam. As you can see from the specs, Al likes to get his grapes ripe, so no overcropping here. Aged in seasoned French oak barrels for eleven months; black cherry, licorice, olallieberry and tobacco notes. Double Gold Medal winner.