Winemaker Notes
From small parcels in the Serraboella vineyard in Neive. 350 meters elevation. Clay soil. Southeast-facing. Vine aged 25 years. Fermentation and maceration over 8-12 days in steel vats at controlled temperatures with indigenous yeasts. Aged for 18 months, partly in large cask and partly in second and third passage tonneaux. Bottling first produced in 1964. Average production 800 cases per year.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Barbera D'Alba Vigna Serraboella is a blend from three parcels of the southwest lower vines below the Nebbiolo, and the other two are on clay soil and southeast-facing. All the wines are fermented spontaneously, and the Barbera is aged for 18 months in Slavonian oak and French oak 500-liter tonneau. The nose is floral, ripe, and inviting, showing off the lavender floral notes that always sing in this wine. It has a slightly rustic feel, with fresh earth, blackberries, and leather. The palate is structured and full, with good freshness of acidity and ripe, well-defined tannins that feel livelier and more energetic.
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Vinous
The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Serraboella is plump, juicy and super-expressive. A rush of dark cherry, plum, mocha, rose petals and licorice caresses the palate. Pretty floral notes lift the finish, adding brightness and persistence.
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Wine Spectator
A dense, robust style, this red delivers plum, tamarind, earth and chocolate flavors. There's lively acidity, along with chunky tannins for support. Drink now through 2030. 800 cases made, 270 cases imported.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.