Winemaker Notes
#2 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019
Medium garnet in color, aromas of red fruits and cassis are complemented by delicate hints of licorice, smoke, and caramel. The tannins in this wine are central to the mouth feel, yet they are neither astringent nor tight...in other words, a perfect example of the Neive style.
Pairs well with meat-based raviolis, mushroom-topped pork saltimbocca, and elegant filet mignon dishes.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Rose, violet, just-tilled vineyard soil and perfumed berry are just some of the aromas you'll find on this dazzling, fragrant red. The elegant, delicious palate is chock-full of elegance and flavor, delivering juicy Morello cherry, raspberry compote, cake spice and a balsamic note. It boasts fantastic tension and finesse, and will be even better with more bottle age. Gorgeous. Drink 2026–2036.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
A distinctive minty note signals this tightly structured red. The core of bright cherry and currant is complemented by licorice, tar and leafy underbrush flavors. Shows plenty of density and power. Best from 2022 through 2040.
-
Wine & Spirits
Castello di Neive’s classic Barbaresco offers snappy cherry flavors accented by notes of licorice and warm spice. The fruit is generous and ripe, framed by raspy tannins, and it takes on notes of charred wood toward the finish.Best Buy
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.