Barco Reale di Carmignano Doc

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On the hilly area on the districts of Carmignano and Poggio a Caiano, in the province of Prato, only recently the DOC Barco Reale di Carmignano or Rosato di Carmignano or Vin Santo di Carmignano or Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Carmignano has been recognised and inserted in the cascade DOC (i.e., prestigious wines which are an appendix to other less important wines but which are of high quality), thus allowing for the valorisation of other wines produced in the area: red wines, rosé and straw wine of very prestigious quality. The Barco takes its name from the walled city which used to contain and protect the lands of the Medici family where the vines were cultivated, in the area of Artiminio and Carmignano.

How it is consumed

The Barco Reale di Carmignano should be taste with structured dishes such as salami, sausages, the typical ‘finocchiara', all types of red meat and seasoned Pecorino Toscano cheese. It is recommended to serve it in ballon chalices at a temperature of 16 to 18°C. The Rosato di Carmignano, on the other hand, is well served with panzanella, crostini in Toscana style, Colonnata lard, the Caciotta Toscana cheese, tomato soup, lentil soup and all vegetable in general. It is served in wide chalices at a temperature of 12-14°C. Finally the Vin Santo di Carmignano and the Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Carmignano are served at the end of a meal and can be also served with sweets and dry cakes such as Prato biscuits, aniseed biscuits, chestnut cakes and other cakes. The Vin Santo is served in small chalices at a temperature of 12-14°C.

How it is conserved

To conserve properly the wines belonging to the Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC there are no rigid preservation rules: it is enough to keep the wine in the dark, at a constant temperature of 10 to 15°C. To avoid that the cork becomes too dry, the humidity must be around 70-75%. The bottles must be conserved horizontally on wooden shelves.

How it is produced

The wine making process of the Barco Reale di Carmignano starts with the fermentation of the must when this is in contact with the marc, which releases parts of its substances such as the tannic and anthocyanin ones. The fermentation process has a variable duration: from 2 to three days for the young wines, to more than 5 days for the structured ones which have a longer aging period. The successive phases are the drawing of the wine from the vat, the separation of the marc from the must, the decantation phase, refining and aging. At the end of this period the wine is stabilized and bottled. The wine making process of the Rosato di Carmignano starts with the breaking of the berries and not of the stalk, and with a slight contact of the grape skin with the must, since otherwise it would be enriched in excessive quantities of colouring and tannic substances. The must obtained is put to ferment and to a brief maceration and a modest sulphating phase. At the end of these phases, the wine is separated from the marc with the drawing of the wine and following it undergoes decantation; it is then stabilised and bottled. The productive process of the Vin Santo di Carmignano and the Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Carmignano starts with the withering of the grapes in special areas and pressed between the 1st December of the year of picking and the 31st March of the following year. At the same time as the production of all types of straw wines it is necessary to pick the grapes from the bunch, since the stalks are dry and therefore can absorb sensible quantities of alcohol and confer bad tastes. A soft pressing phase follows. Fermentation follows which is naturally blocked when a high alcoholic gradation is reached. The resulting wine is stabilised and refined in kegs for an obligatory duration of 3 years ( four years for the Reserve version).

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