Platinetti Barbera Pieleo 2019

Ghemme, Piedmont

The Platinetti farm is located in the municipality of Ghemme and its origins are very ancient; some settlements in this area can even be traced back to the Neolithic period.

In the time of Pliny the Elder, it was repeatedly referred to as 'Pagus Agaminus' from which the ancient 'Agamium' is derived, today
Ghemme. Vines have been cultivated in Ghemme since time immemorial and history is full of anecdotes and testimonies; one above all deserves to be mentioned: Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour asserted that the wines of Ghemme are, among Piedmontese wines, those that most resemble the great 'Pinot Noirs' of Burgundy. This conviction of his was based on the conformation and composition of the soils of the moraine hills of Ghemme, which are very similar to those of Burgundy, as well as the continental climate with large temperature swings between day and night.

Today it is Andrea Fontana and his brother, descendants of Guido Platinetti, their maternal grandfather, who run the company. One cannot talk about the company without talking about Ronco Maso, 3.5 hectares, where Ghemme is produced with the selection of grapes from the highest part of the vineyard. Ronco Maso is a pebbly fluvio-glacial terrace, originally formed by the slow flow of the Monte Rosa glacier and later by the Sesia river, which initially flowed right under Ronco Maso and only later, over millennia, shifted its bed towards the west.

The presence of high concentrations of minerals, especially of ferrous origin, and the low presence of organic matter in the soil are ideal for vines whose roots are naturally obliged to reach deep into the strata in search of nutrients and minerals, thus bringing complexity, minerality and unique characteristics to the resulting wines.

The south-west exposure allows the plants to receive the sun throughout the day and the orientation of the rows
tion makes it possible to limit sunburn on the bunches during the hottest hours. The training system is a
Guyot. Spontaneous grassing has been practised for about 30 years which, in addition to establishing a habitat rich in
biodiversity in the vineyard, prevent soil leaching and work safely with
mechanical means.

The average age of the vines is over 40 years for the vineyard to the south and over 30 years for the one to the north. All fermentation is spontaneous and sulphur dioxide dosages are very low.