2023 La Colombera - Colli Tortonesi DOC Barbera Vegia Rampana (750ml)

The Producer

La Colombera is run by oenologist Elisa Semino alongside her father Piercarlo and brother Lorenzo. The winery is one of the most highly regarded in the Colli Tortonesi zone, especially celebrated for Timorasso, though they cultivate several native varieties across their 25 hectares of vineyards. 

The Wine

Vegia Rampana is a Barbera-based red wine from the Tortona hills in the southernmost part of Piedmont. The soil is mostly clayey with strips of limestone in the upper layers, and the wine is aged in stainless steel. 

In the glass it shows a clear ruby red with purple highlights. It is an intense and complex wine, with aromas of marasca cherry, plum, cherries in alcohol, and jam. On the palate it is supple and warm, with well-balanced acidity and a dense but refined tannic texture.  Deep spice notes of pink pepper, nutmeg, and clove add further complexity.

Aging Potential

Vegia Rampana is aged in steel tanks and is considered a long-lived wine, giving its best at least eight years after the harvest.  So the 2023 vintage is very much in its youth — enjoyable now but built to evolve into the early 2030s.

Food Pairings

Recommended with first courses featuring game sauces and slow-cooked beef cuts.  It would also work beautifully with pasta in rich tomato-based ragù, aged cheeses, or grilled lamb.

Service

Serve at 16°C (61°F), or in summer around 13°C (55°F). 

Value

This is a notably value-driven wine — typically found in the $15–20 range at retail — making it one of the more exciting overdeliverers from Piedmont.