Winemaker Notes
Elegant and harmonious nose. Flavors of plum and mushroom, with hints of cherry skin. Full-bodied and dry with silky tannins and a fresh finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of dried cherries with crushed flowers, red spices and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with velvety tannins with some chewiness to it. Textured and polished with a vivid red fruit character. Crunchy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Barbaresco slowly reveals delicate fruit with finely tuned aromas of wild cherry, tar, rose and pencil shaving. That darker mineral note gives this vintage a deeper, more baritone quality. But Nebbiolo's characteristic brightness shines through. The 2020 tannins are more immediate overall, and the wine's mouthfeel is slender and firm.
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Wine Spectator
A taut, focused red, bright and loaded with cherry, strawberry, rose and eucalyptus flavors. Reveals mineral and tobacco accents as this evolves on the palate. Balanced, with powdery tannins lining the finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. 3,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.
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.