Barbera Archivi - TM Magazine

Mysterium 2019 tre bicchieri Gambero Rosso

Gambero Rosso 3 glasses to Mysterium 2019, Barbera d’Asti Superiore by Tenuta Montemagno

23 October 2024/in WINES /by Rossana Gulli

Our Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG Mysterium 2019 was awarded with the most prestigious and coveted wine award from Gambero Rosso: 3 glasses!

A vine that perfectly identifies and expresses the terroir (as our French cousins call it) in which it is lovingly grown: the Monferrato Astigiano.

In Mysteriu m 2019 we find all the strength, the power of Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG, elevated to the rank of excellence thanks to a meticulous selection of grapes in the vineyard from the first days of foliation, until the harvest.

Our agronomists pay special attention to the oldest vines (now eighty years old) on our estate, they daily follow the thinning of the bunches and foliage in order to accommodate the vineyard and the climatic variations of spring and summer until the harvest, which is done strictly by hand, with delivery to the cellar within a few hours of harvesting.

The winemaking processes are followed by the team of oenologists coordinated by Gianfranco Cordero, in compliance with the DOCG production disciplinary, made even more restrictive by our “metodo TM”, to guarantee the excellence of a label that is symbol and icon of Tenuta Montemagno’s wine production.

From the first harvest (it was the year 2009) to today, Mysterium has refined, grown, adapted to climate changes, but has always maintained its identity: power and elegance, strength and refinement, marked acidity and softness. Opposites that attract and find their synthesis in our interpretation of Barbera d’Asti, born from the intuition of Tiziano Barea, an entrepreneur with a great passion for the world of wine, of which he was able to enhance the tradition by combining it with the innovation of winemaking processes, to obtain increasingly healthier wines.

With the recognition of the Three Glasses by thel Gambero Rosso jury, we are proud to be part of that small number of wineries that will be ambassadors of Italian winemaking in the world, alongside historic Piedmontese companies such as Gaja, Giacosa, Oddero,…and many other excellent winemakers who bring the excellence of our territory to the tables all over the world.

Because, first of all, even at Tenuta Montemagno we consider ourselves winemakers who put passion and love into “making wine”…always with an eye on innovation and future.

Mysterium 201 9 is produced in approximately 12,300 bottles from the oldest vineyards of the Estate, harvested with medium-late harvest and aged in Allier oak barrels: one third Barrique, one third Tonneaux and one third large 30 Hl barrels.

Power, fruitiness and freshness accompany finesse, mineral olfactory complexity and a right tannicity that distinguishes the vine of this territory.

The color is intense red, with purple and black reflections, with broad scents, with distinct notes of cherry, earth and persuasive woody notes.

Power, fruitiness and freshness accompany finesse, mineral olfactory complexity and a right tannicity that distinguishes the vine of this territory.

The color is intense red, with purple and black reflections, with broad scents, with distinct notes of cherry, earth and persuasive woody notes.

On the palate it is warm, concentrated, rightly tannic and with excellent aromatic persistence.

With 15% Vol. Mysterium is the ideal label to accompany the most important and classic dishes of autumnal Piedmontese cuisine, such as the great first courses of our tradition.

Tenuta Montemagno wines can be directly purchased on the winery’s website (www.tmwines.it), or tasted in the wine shop or in the wine bars and restaurants that expose their labels.

The harvest Tenuta Montemagno 2023

5 October 2023/in VINEYARDS AND CELLAR /by Rossana Gulli

Article written in collaboration with Roberto Nantiat and Gianfranco Cordero, winemakers of Tenuta Montemagno

It was already understood since last 2022 that this would be a particular year for the cultivation and harvest of the 2023 grapes, remembered as a difficult year due to the extreme drought which compromised part of the vineyards, forcing some wineries to intervene on the plants and replant the cuttings in order to recover, in future years, what water scarcity has caused. But despite these warning signals, 2023 was able to surprise us again, for a strong variability of the climatic conditions that affected the cultivation starting from the winter and which continued until the summer.

Let’s summarize the situation with Roberto Nantiat the winemaker who, with Gianfranco Cordero, follows the works at Tenuta Montemagno, to understand the trend of 2023, with a focus on the harvest just terminated and on what the wines resulting from this harvest will be like.

“This is a particular vintage” Roberto says “but we could already understand it from how spring and summer were; from an extreme period of drought we moved to a semi-resolution during the months of June and early July, to return to another situation of stress due to the high temperatures reached from the beginning to mid-August”.

During this period, for about two weeks, the thermometer marked 40°/45° C with average night-time values always above 30° C. The effect on the plants was the blocking of photosynthesis and therefore the ripening of bunches. So on August 22nd, ahead of the traditional calendar, the Sauvignon harvest began.

“We decided to race against time to prevent these grapes, which are very sensitive to climatic conditions, from burning. Sauvignon, in fact, due to the strong heat can “burn” and produce oxidation which, in turn, could lead to a loss of those aromas that are very important for the varietal”.

The choice to carry out an early harvest was also dictated by the desire to maintain a good quality of the grapes, to the detriment of the volumes harvested.

“At the end of August we had three days of heavy rain”, Roberto continues. “This restored the water balance of the plants. The grapes have started to swell again, the ripening has resumed its course, and the vegetation has therefore also regained the natural colour of the period; from a green with a rather dull brightness it returned to a beautiful dark green, a signal indicating the resumption of photosynthesis”.

From that moment on, the harvest resumed, first with Barbera grapes for the vinification of TM Brut and then with Syrah, used for the Viola e label (blend of Syrah and Barbera). Syrah vinification shows a particularly intense colour, an interesting structure and, therefore, a good concentration.

During the month of September the harvest continued with the Timorasso, which reached perfect ripeness thanks to the heavy rains at the end of August, used for S olis Vis, and Nymphae.

“Now (mid-September, ed.), we are harvesting the Barbera grapes, destined for the vinification of the Austeru m reds and Mysterium, that are offering the same quality as always with greater softness and freshness. Soon we will continue with the Ruchè grapes for Nobili s, while the harvest for Invictus, the Ruché made with a late harvest, will occur two weeks later”.

Summing up the 2023 harvest of Tenuta Montemagno, we can therefore state that it is characterized by reduced volumes, good quality of the harvested bunches and excellent conditions for winemaking.

17 January 2023, Prague: Tenuta Montemagno’s international tour begins

2 January 2023/in WINES /by Marco Mussini

The consortium for the promotion of I Vini del Piemonte confirms the stage in Eastern Europe to promote Piedmontese excellence in new and important markets. On Tuesday 17 January 2023, the second Barolo & Friends Event will be held in Prague, at the Eurostars Thalia Hotel.

The initiative will be aimed exclusively at trade operators: importers, distributors, sommeliers, Ho.Re.Ca and journalists. This is an important opportunity to consolidate the market positions of our wineries, as Italian wine ranks first among imported products, with demand in the last 5 years growing in value by almost 20%, reaching 215 million euros.

Tenuta Montemagno will be present at this event, bringing for tasting:

TM Brut 24 months – classic Piedmontese method obtained by vinifying Barbera grapes

Mysterium – excellent red from Barbera d’Asti Superiore grapes

Solis Vis – white from 100% Timorasso grapes

Invictus – red from late harvest Ruchè grapes

Nobilis – red from Ruchè grapes

Work in vineyard and cellar: the harvest 2022

6 October 2022/in VINEYARDS AND CELLAR /by Rossana Gulli

Article written in collaboration with Roberto Nantiat and Gianfranco Cordero, winemakers of Tenuta Montemagno

The harvest, as we know, is one of the most awaited moments for wine producers. The final result of the harvest is destined to end up on the tables and tasting counters, to crown the sublime love story that unites man and nature. In Tenuta Montemagno the 2022 harvest has just ended. Begun at the end of August, with the harvest of the Sauvignon grapes, it ended more or less four weeks later.

This year the work was particularly demanding due to the severe drought that characterized the summer of 2022. During the summer months, as we described in the previous article, we worked to ensure that the vines best overcome the stress caused by dry land and water scarcity.

These operations led to the desired outcome and the rows entered the harvest period in the best state of health. However, during the harvest it was noted that the ripening of the grapes was uneven. For this reason we proceeded to make a careful selection of the rows and the individual bunches to be harvested, carrying out the operation at the right time.

The fact of having brought to the cellar uneven bunches in the maturation, allowed to have, in the whole harvest, a more balanced product: not too alcoholic and, at the same time, not too low in acidity. This is why Tenuta Montemagno’s technicians are extremely satisfied with this vintage. Also from the quantity point of view there is satisfaction as we obtain a harvest equal to that of last year.

At the time of writing this article, the alcoholic fermentation and winemaking operations are almost complete; shortly we will proceed with malolactic fermentation, which serves to transform malic acid into lactic acid and to reduce the presence of residual sugars present after alcoholic fermentation.

This is one of the final stages before the product from the last harvest got goes to rest in the tanks and, for the reds, in the barrels, and gives life to the final wines.

We conclude by stating that the expectations on the quality of the 2022 harvest are very high. A very atypical vintage, even for the most experienced operators who have been working in the wine sector for some time, but which will lead to obtain, at least as regards Tenuta Montemagno, high quality wines balanced between acidity and alcohol content.

Tenuta Montemagno on tour with Simply Italian Great Wines

16 September 2022/in WINES /by Rossana Gulli

The Simply Italian Great Wines tour continues in Northern Europe (Norway and United Kingdom), organized by IEM – International Exhibition Management, intended to introduce the best Italian wines to a foreign audience of professionals in the wine sector.

Tenuta Montemagno participates in this traveling event with a selection of its wines, chosen to best represent the winery and the territory which they belong to.

TM Brut 24 months – classic Piedmontese method obtained by vinifying Barbera grapes

Violae – red blend made with Barbera and Syrah grapes

Nymphae – white blend obtained from Timorasso and Sauvignon grapes

Solis Vis – white from 100% Timorasso grapes

Invictus – red from late harvest Ruchè grapes

Mysterium – excellent red from Barbera d’Asti Superiore grapes

OSLO

On 21 September we will be together with “I Vini del Piemonte”, at the Oslo Scene in Oslo, Norway.

This event follows the success of the previous edition, during which there was a demonstration of how the Norwegian public particularly appreciates Piedmontese wines.

Piedmont is in fact in second place among the Italian regions for the export of red wines to Norway, not only in terms of volumes, but also for value, so that it has won the title of one of the first wine regions in the world for bottled red wine exports.

Tenuta Montemagno will be present for the walk around wine tasting with a tasting table and a MasterClass dedicated to Mysterium 2017.

LONDON

After Oslo, still as part of the Simply Italian Great Wines event, we will be present on October 3, in London, England.

The venue for this event, now in its fifth edition, is the ONE GREAT GEORGE STREET, a classic location of great elegance, with a typically Anglo-Saxon style. Italian wines have long been appreciated by the English market; this event aims at renewing our attention to an audience of professionals, introducing the most recent or interesting novelties of local wine production.

Also in London we will propose the selection of labels on stage in Oslo, through the traditional walk around wine tasting formula and with the MasterClass Myterium 2017.

London-Sharpened2-e-edificio e Institution_of_Civil_Engineers,_One_Great_George_Street

This continues with these two stages the journey that brings the wines of our cellar around Europe and, soon to Asia. At the end of August we went to Tallinn and Helsinki; in September we will be in Oslo and London; in November we will be in Tokyo, in the Land of the Rising Sun. Important events to make our products known to someliers and importers who want to know, and propose the excellence of our country and our territory for their local audience.

Work in vineyard and cellar: spring

27 June 2022/in VINEYARDS AND CELLAR /by Rossana Gulli

Article written in collaboration with Roberto Nantiat, winemaker of Tenuta Montemagno

Tasting a good wine is the final act of a sublime love story. A story that connects man and nature, the passion for the cultivation of vineyards and the acceptance of this attention by nature. But how much work is there behind a glass of wine? It is a work that lasts months, sometimes years, if we consider the time required to obtain wines matured 3, 4, 5 years and even more.

So let’s find out together the work that the winemaking technicians carry out in Tenuta Montemagno over the seasons so that the vines, in their path of development and growth, reach the optimal conditions to produce the bunches from which the good wine to be tasted will be obtained.

Let’s start this cognitive journey by talking about spring. An important and, at times, critical season, as it is subject to substantial changes in temperature (sometimes with the return of frosts), and even long periods of drought as happened this year in the months of February, March and April.

Without water, the plants slow down their growth, so in this period the technicians of Tenuta Montemagno have kept their attention high to catch any signs of suffering of the vines which, fortunately, have not appeared, a sign of a perfectly healthy cultivation.

May saw the return of rain which brought new energy for sprout growth.

While waiting for the rain to arrive, shredding and mowing (that is, cleaning the ground from grass) began between April and early May. An operation that facilitates the absorption of rainwater and eliminates water competition between the vine and the grass. These operations are performed exclusively with the use of mechanical tools and without chemicals.

Green pruning was carried out between May and June, namely the suckling and removal of side growths in excess. This well-calibrated operation allows to balance and facilitate ventilation within the leaf mass, with the advantage of reducing susceptibility to fungal diseases and increasing the capacity of sun rays absorption.

Starting from March, with the vegetative restart of the vine, the vineyard requires careful management of growth and operations to be carried out, in order to ensure the best vegetative-productive balance and therefore be able to arrive at harvest with a quality product.

The same can be said for the commitment required in managing the cellar works. As for the still white wines of Tenuta Montemagno (Musae, Nymphae and Solis Vis), following the alcoholic fermentation, the wines were kept in contact with the yeasts (refining sur lies) for about six months and bottled at the beginning of the spring.

The spicy and fresh Ruber (Grignolino) and the mellow and intense Violae (red Monferrato) were subsequently bottled.

In March the draft of the Barbera vinified in white was carried out, to produce the Spumante TM Brut. This operation is followed by about a month of refermentation and will remain for the next 24 and 36 months in refining on the yeasts.

The wines still present in the cellar remain in refining, some inside steel tanks (Austerum, Nobilis, Invictus) and some inside wood (Mysterium), waiting for the perfect moment to be bottled.

A lot of work to be done in spring and a lot of love we give to produce wines in the optimal conditions to reach tasting tables around the world.

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