Finding a pre-Phylloxera plant was my personal goal. It’s a tribute to Elvio Cogno, who made great wines in the same area where our un-grafted vineyard is today.

Pre Phylloxera refers to the time before the phylloxera pest entered Europe from America in 1860 and nearly drove viticulture to extinction.

To save vineyards, producers grafted the fruiting vine of their local varieties onto American rootstock, which was not affected by the catastrophic effects of the tiny parasite.

Elvio Cogno’s Pre Phylloxera Barbera epresents one of the few survivors of that scourge. The vines it comes from are one of the rare examples of native rootstock in the Langhe. Its trunks, twisted and contorted magnificently, are an open air museum of viticulture from a long time ago, sculptures of nature over 120 years old.

Valter Fissore pursued this rare wine with a passion and, in 2010, was able to produce it when he acquired the old Berri vineyard near La Morra. Here, the climate, position, and other natural characteristics prevented the development of phylloxera. At Berri, the soil is, in fact, not calcareous-clayey like much of the Langhe, but sandier and with a high percentage of iron that contributed to protecting the plants from phylloxera.

The Barbera that comes from these vines, after a very low yield, has unique characteristics.
Elegant, smooth, and balanced, with an excellent drinkability, it distinguishes itself with its dense, full body, intense palate, and refined character.