Winemaker Notes
Intense nose, with hints of violets and spices. Amazing aromas of ripe, plummy fruit, Indian spice and flowers. Full-bodied and very concentrated, with amazing tannins and super ripe fruit.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Black raspberries, medicinal herbs and spiced tea dominate the aromatic profile. The firm palate reveals that the fruit is at the core, surrounded by sweet and savory spices, including notes of cigar box and worn leather. Mouthwatering acidity adds to its appeal. Drink from 2025–2045.
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James Suckling
This is vivid and racy with ripe raspberries, currant leaf, rose petals and bergamot. Dry earth, too. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy tannins and chalky texture. Structured and a little chewy, yet fresh and red-fruited with a mineral finish. Better from 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Barbaresco Bordini (with fruit from the village of Neive) shows medium-rich density with more texture and structure in this vintage. The Bordini is a little more austere in character and hearty overall. That extra stuffing is accompanied by an open-knit approach that makes this wine approachable in the medium term. Or you could wait, if that's your choice.
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Wine Spectator
A fleshy version, this red exhibits cherry, strawberry, mint and earth notes backed by a firm, vibrant structure. Though this finishes on the austere side now, there is freshness and a lingering fruit and savory aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2045. 1,250 cases made, 100 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.