# Figli Luigi Oddero Barbera d'Alba (2025)

- **Producer:** Figli Luigi Oddero
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Barbera
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €25
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, violet, herbaceous

## About this wine

Figli Luigi Oddero is a historic estate located near Santa Maria di La Morra in the heart of Piedmont's Langhe region. Founded by Luigi Oddero, an oenologist renowned in Italian wine history, the winery features the iconic Specola Tower overlooking the vineyard landscape. Today, the estate is led by Luigi's wife Lena and children Maria and Giovanni, alongside winemaker Francesco Versio. The estate blends traditional Piedmontese heritage with careful viticulture, crafting expressive wines from prime mid-hillside plots.

## Interesting facts

- Luigi Oddero was featured as a quintessential 'country gentleman' in Mario Soldati's 1975 wine classic Vino al Vino.
- The landmark Specola Tower (Torre Specola) stands on the estate grounds overlooking the historic Rive vineyard.
- Aged entirely in stainless steel and concrete to preserve pure, vibrant red fruit characteristics without oak interference.

## Food pairing

Barbera's high natural acidity and low, velvety tannins make it exceptionally versatile at the dinner table. Its sharp acidity cuts effortlessly through fatty meats, rich pasta sauces, and aged cheeses, while its moderate tannin structure ensures it pairs smoothly without creating astringency alongside pork, poultry, or charcuterie.

## Wine making process

Harvested by hand in late September from estate vineyards in La Morra, the grapes undergo fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 10 to 12 days at 27°C–29°C using indigenous and selected yeasts. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel and concrete vats. The wine ages in stainless steel tanks for 8 to 12 months without oak barrel contact, followed by bottle aging to maintain natural fruit purity, freshness, and terroir expression.