Poderi Colla, Barbera D'Alba DOC, Costa Bruna

There is a reason nearly every serious cellar in Piedmont contains far more Barbera than Barolo. Barolo may be the wine that captures the world's attention, but Barbera is often the wine that accompanies everyday life throughout the Langhe. It is the bottle opened at Sunday lunch, poured alongside great meals, and shared among friends and family. The best examples deliver everything we love about Piedmont: freshness, energy, character, and a profound ability to make food taste better. Today's wine comes from one of the most historic families in the region and one of the most fascinating Barbera vineyards I've encountered. In a world where great Piedmont continues to become more expensive, Costa Bruna remains one of those rare bottles that dramatically overdelivers.

To understand Costa Bruna, you first have to understand Poderi Colla. The Colla family is one of the great founding families of modern Piedmont. Tino Colla and his brother Beppe spent decades helping shape the reputation of Barolo and Barbaresco long before the region became a global phenomenon. When the family founded Poderi Colla in 1993, the goal was simple: preserve great historic vineyards and allow each site to express itself honestly. Today they farm some of Piedmont's most important properties, including Dardi Le Rose in Bussia, Roncaglie in Barbaresco, and Cascine Drago in Alba. Across the portfolio, the wines share a common thread of restraint, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to traditional Piedmontese winemaking.

Costa Bruna comes from the family's Roncaglie estate in Barbaresco, one of the most respected hillsides in the region. While Roncaglie is best known for Nebbiolo, tucked within the vineyard sits a tiny parcel of Barbera vines that date back to approximately 1930. Rather than replacing them with Nebbiolo as many growers would have done, the family recognized the uniqueness of the site and chose to preserve them. What makes Costa Bruna so compelling is that it feels less like a simple Barbera and more like a great Barbaresco vineyard speaking through a different grape variety. The same limestone-rich marl soils that have made Roncaglie famous give the wine an uncommon degree of complexity, structure, and mineral character. Traditional fermentation and aging in large oak casks preserve the identity of the vineyard and allow the old vines to tell their story.

This is exactly the sort of wine that reminds us why Piedmont remains one of the world's great food-and-wine cultures. Pair it with tajarin tossed in ragù, agnolotti del plin, mushroom risotto, braised short ribs, roasted pork, or a simple roast chicken and you'll immediately understand why Barbera has been beloved throughout the region for generations. The 2022 offers beautiful notes of black cherry, wild strawberry, plum, violet, dried rose petal, licorice, and subtle wild spice, all carried by the vibrant acidity that makes great Barbera so irresistible at the table. Serve it just below cellar temperature, around 58-62 degrees, in a large Burgundy stem and give it twenty minutes in a decanter. While absolutely delicious today, the old vines and pedigree of the site suggest it will continue to evolve beautifully through at least 2035. There are many Barberas in the world. Very few come from one of Barbaresco's most historic hillsides. Even fewer come from vines approaching a century of age. Costa Bruna delivers all the pleasure of Barbera, all the soul of Piedmont, and far more character than its price would ever suggest. Intellectual and delicious.