Michele Chiarlo – Barbera d’Asti DOCG “Le Orme”
Michele Chiarlo is a long-established Piedmont producer, and “Le Orme” is their classic take on Barbera d’Asti DOCG. On the winemaking side, the winery states it’s fermented in steel, with about 10 days of maceration (gentle “shower” cap-wetting), followed by malolactic in steel, and then a minimum of 1 year of refinement before release.
On the nose, “Le Orme” comes across as bright and clean, with ripe red fruit that feels fresh (not jammy), plus a subtle savoury edge. That lines up well with both the producer’s description of cherry and currant and a savoury finish, and the SAQ’s profile that highlights cherry, raspberry and spice with dominant acidity.
On the palate, the acidity is the star and it’s exactly why it works so well at the table, while the texture stays smooth and easy so the wine never tries to steal the show.
What made this bottle shine wasn’t sheer fruitiness, but the combination of fresh acidity, ripe red fruit that stays precise, and a savoury touch that kept everything in line with the food. It respected every dish on the table and never dominated the plate — exactly what Barbera does best when it’s well made.
And at the SAQ it’s sitting around $18 (currently listed $18.05 online), which is the kind of value that proves you don’t need to overspend for a good wine.
This is one of those “weeknight heroes” that loves food, especially anything with a bit of richness. The producer explicitly points to tomato-based pasta, pizza, and white meats, which fits the Barbera sweet spot.
On my table, it was a spot-on match with risotto with bacon, pork skewers, chicken breast, and pork & shrimp dumplings, because the acidity cut through fat and kept the meal feeling light and balanced.
Country/Region: Piemonte, Italy
Grape: Barbera
Vintage: 2023
Alcohol : 13.5%
Producer: Michele Chiarlo
Agent: Authentic Vins & Spiritueux
Facebook
LinkedIn
Share on X
Instagram
