Winemaker Notes
Intense garnet red in color with notes of blackberry, black cherry, plum and overtones of rose and violet petals and spices. The palate is warm and elegant with a long-lasting finish and a hint of cocoa.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Barbaresco is fabulous. Aromatic and pliant, with superb depth, the 2022 is total seduction. Raspberry, blood orange, chalk, mint and white pepper are all beautifully lifted. This mid-weight, expressive Barbaresco is flat-out delicious. The straight Barbaresco was made from the less well-exposed parcels, which was definitely a benefit in 2022. This is a terrific success.
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Tasting Panel
The 2022 Barbaresco is a very fine wine at this level. Sensual and inviting, the 2022 is wonderfully alluring. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, spice, leather and blood orange abound. Pretty floral overtones extend the finish effortlessly. Vineyard sites are Currà, Fausoni, Marcorino and a fourth site near the winery on the opposite side of Rabajà. I imagine the vineyard designates will surpass this in time, but today, for the sheer pleasure of it, the straight Barbaresco is superb. The blending of sites can't be underestimated, especially in challenging years.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.