Winemaker Notes
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A 2015 Barbaresco with solid density of fruit, firm and chewy tannins and juicy, savory character. It’s full-bodied and lightly chewy with ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. From organically grown grapes. Needs time to soften, but I like its dynamic nature. Drink after 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Cascina Bruciata 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo (made with certified organic fruit) offers a rich, full-throttle interpretation of Nebbiolo from a warm and sunny vintage. The wine is powerful and bold, with noticeably more concentration and richness compared to many of the wines from nearby vineyard sites in Barbaresco. This is a hearty wine with a loosely knit texture and some finely grained tannins. I'd suggest a near-term drinking window (maybe the next 10 years) in order to capture some of that plummy dark fruit before it fades away.
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.