Ca’ del Matt
This is a union of a local co-operative in Nizza Monferrato and wine-maker Matt Thomson. Fortunately the vineyards are among the best in the Barbera d’Asti zone, as the sites are more exposed so ripen to a greater extent than in the rest of the zone. This ripeness is very important as without it Barbera can be too acidic. A major change in the vineyard was to pay growers, not by the kilo but by the hectare – this ensured that the growers kept their yields low, and the co-operative was able to dictate treatments and harvest times. So the grapes are good – and then with Matt Thomson in charge in the winery, the wine is excellent.