Bruna Grimaldi - Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa

Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa 2024

Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa 2024 is the powerful Barbera from a Barolo family that has been gradually advancing from bulk wine to top crus in Grinzane Cavour for decades. What makes Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa 2024 so special? It's a Barbera d'Alba from four carefully selected communes around Grinzane Cavour, with low yields, aging in tonneaux and large casks, and a style that combines concentration with remarkable freshness. At Perfectewijn, you'll find Scassa as the Barbera for connoisseurs who value terroir and structure as much as ripe red fruit and gastronomic versatility.

Vineyards and region

The grapes for Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa 2024 come from Italy, Piedmont , from vineyards in the municipalities of Roddi, La Morra, Diano d'Alba, and Sinio. The plots lie between 250 and 450 meters above sea level, with primarily south-, southeast-, and southwest-facing slopes, allowing Barbera to ripen optimally without losing its vibrant acidity. The soils are poor and calcareous, composed of Marne and sandstone formations such as the Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili, the Arenarie di Diano, and the Formazioni di Lequio, which gives the wine its combination of depth, tension, and a light mineral note. The name Scassa refers to the literal "breaking open" of the stony subsoil in one of the original plots, a laboriously cultivated vineyard that has significantly shaped the character of the cuvée. The estate is now led by the next generation, Simone and Martina Fiorino, who are further honing the family vision of Barolo and Barbera with great attention to individual plots and a careful, but not excessive, use of oak.

Vinification and maturation

After being harvested by hand in the second and third weeks of September, the Barbera grapes are destemmed and fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Skin maceration lasts approximately 10 to 12 days, long enough to extract color, aroma, and structure from the skins, but without making the wine heavy or ponderous. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in old concrete vats, which rounds out the acidity and adds texture without the influence of wood. Maturation lasts 12 to 15 months in a combination of tonneaux and large oak casks, so that the wood primarily contributes to refinement, complexity, and oxygen exchange, rather than dominant vanilla notes. This is followed by extended bottle aging before Scassa is released, with an alcohol content of approximately 15%, the logical outcome of Barbera ripening on warm, chalky slopes.

Grape composition

Barbera – Roddi, La Morra, Diano d'Alba and Sinio
Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d'Alba Superiore Scassa 2024 is 100% Barbera from multiple plots in four communes, where low yields and warm exposure produce ripe red fruit, deep color, pronounced acidity, and a powerful yet balanced structure.

Tasting notes and serving suggestions

In the glass, Scassa 2024 is a deep ruby ​​red. The aroma opens with intense red and dark fruit notes such as cherries and berries, complemented by notes of plum, blackcurrant, graphite, a hint of mint, and subtle hints of vanilla and spices from the wood. The palate reveals a rich, concentrated Barbera with plenty of pure fruit, a clear, juicy acidity, and a hint of minerality that creates tension; the tannins are present yet refined, contributing to a long, layered finish. Serve this Barbera d'Alba Superiore around 16-18°C (60-64°F) and feel free to aerate it in a carafe if serving young. At the table, Scassa is at home with rich antipasti, pasta with egg-based meat sauce, braised or roasted red and white meats, casseroles with cod or other firm fish, and with aged hard cheeses, where its strength and freshness combine beautifully.