# Donna Elena (Cascina delle Rose)

> Red, Barbera d'Alba DOC Superiore by [Cascina delle Rose](https://ilvinobello.com/wineries/cascina-delle-rose.md), Barbaresco, Piemonte, Italy. From Il Vino Bello (https://ilvinobello.com/wines/cascina-delle-rose-donna-elena).

- **Producer:** Cascina delle Rose
- **Style:** Red
- **Denomination:** Barbera d'Alba DOC Superiore
- **Grape:** Barbera
- **Cru / vineyard:** Donna Elena
- **Production area:** Barbaresco
- **Soil:** Marine-origin soil with compact stratification, subsoil mainly silt, clay and sand, over grey-blue calcareous marl with abundant underground spring water.
- **Exposure:** East, sunny until sunset, 230m asl
- **Vineyard planting:** Guyot, 4,400 to 5,000 vines per hectare
- **Vinification:** Grapes are hand-picked and gently pressed by machine so the stalks stay whole and the seeds are not crushed. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in steel tanks, with skin maceration of about 20 to 25 days. The wine is then aged for about 18 to 20 months in large, untoasted Slavonian oak barrels before bottling on a waning moon, unfiltered and unclarified.
- **Il Vino Bello rating:** 4/5
- **Last updated:** 2026-09-26


## Summary

The estate's Riserva-style Barbera, from a vineyard in Barbaresco, fermented in steel and aged about 18 to 20 months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

## Tasting notes

Intense ruby red with garnet reflections. Complex aroma of fruit in alcohol (cherry, plum, black cherry), slightly spicy (cinnamon, cloves), with good tannic balance, intense, warm and of particular elegance and depth.

## Food pairings

Goes well with red meats, lamb and medium-aged cheeses.