Albarossa

A red grape created in 1938 by Giovanni Dalmasso at the Istituto Sperimentale per la Viticoltura. DNA profiling later revealed its parentage as Chatus x Barbera, not Nebbiolo as originally believed. Small, thick-skinned berries in compact clusters give high phenolic content, particularly anthocyanins, for deep color. Inherits from Barbera the ability to ripen late while keeping good acidity, especially on poor, chalky soils. Still a minor variety — under 10 hectares planted in Italy as of 2000.