A Beautiful Barbera from the Producer Who Helped Put Barolo on the Map
The history of modern Barolo is difficult to tell without Renato Ratti, often called the “father of the Barolo Crus.” After years studying Europe’s great wine regions, Ratti returned to Piedmont in 1965 and began producing single-vineyard Barolo, drawing inspiration from Burgundy and its focus on the character of individual sites.
His influence went well beyond his own wines. Ratti painstakingly mapped the historic wine-growing areas of Piedmont, helping establish the framework for the great crus of Barolo and Barbaresco. He later built a museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Piedmontese wine, the same history he had helped shape.
And then there was Barbera.
In 1969, Ratti released his first single-vineyard Barbera, showcasing the brightness and beauty of Piedmont’s second most famous grape.
Two decades after his untimely passing, his son Pietro carried that work forward. In 2009, he completed the winery’s newest single-vineyard Barbera: Battaglione Barbera d’Asti. The bottle, adorned with a Napoleonic-era Piedmontese soldier, brought together two of Renato’s passions, the history of Piedmont and its wines.
The 2024 Battaglione Barbera d’Asti is 100% Barbera, showing the brightness and generosity that make the grape so appealing. There’s ripe red and dark fruit, lively acidity, subtle spice and enough structure to give the wine a distinctly Italian character.
The 2024 vintage received 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, which praised its plump fruit, lush texture and bright acidity. To quote Jeff Porter himself “93pts-Mixed berries lounging in a hammock, showing exactly why Barbera earned its reputation as comfort wine with class. The palate keeps that easy luxury flowing, plump fruits and lush texture creating waves of happiness until bright acidity kicks in like the perfect afternoon wake up call. —Jeff Porter
There’s plenty of history behind this bottle, but what matters most is what’s in the glass: bright fruit, lively acidity and a distinctly Piedmontese character. Lush and easy to drink, it feels just right as the weather starts to turn.
93 Points — Wine Enthusiast
