Winemaker Notes
This Barbaresco stands out for its harmonious, well-balanced expression, with a luscious floral scented bouquet, magisterial structure, and lingering taste. At once crisp and elegant, with a succulent mouth feel this superb classic lends itself to immediate enjoyment or to medium/long term cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Camphor, rose and red berry aromas shape the enticing nose on this savory red. The linear, structured palate is all about finesse, featuring ripe Morello cherry, crushed strawberry and star anise alongside taut, polished tannins and fresh acidity.
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Decanter
Blending different plots has proven to be a major success for this family estate making authentic wines, especially in a vintage of mostly lean wines such as 2018. Here emerges a vibrant nose of wild strawberry and violet, and a great depth of balsamic notes and mint chocolate. Red fruits are wrapped up in bracing tannins, alongside refreshing acidity and a savoury character.
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James Suckling
Pretty nose of wild red fruit, fresh nuts and flowers. A tinge of orange rind rounds it off nicely. Medium-bodied with well-placed nebbiolo acidity and lightly firm tannins that do little to impede the overall freshness. Good, balanced length. This is in a good place now, but will be even better from 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Barbaresco shows a slightly sweet side with dried plum or cherry confit. But there is a tart fruit and savory side as well that veers toward grilled rosemary, spice and iron ore. These unfold quickly as the wine takes on more air in the glass. These results are accessible and very pretty. The wine awards you a straight-shooting expression of Barbaresco that is balanced and proper.
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Vinous
The 2018 Barbaresco us a pretty, understated wine. Dark cherry, plum, spice, lavender, mocha and orange zest open effortlessly in the glass. The 2018 balances lovely fruit expression and textural depth in a soft, quiet style that is hugely appealing.
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.