Winemaker Notes
Light ruby red. The bouquet has hints of wild strawberry, nectarine and cinnamon. Full-bodied and round, ginger and green tea notes shaping soft yet decisive tannins. The finish is full and precise.
Pair with tagliatelle with rabbit ragù and caciucco (Italian fish stew).
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Looking at the first of four Barbaresco, the 2022 Barbaresco Bordini is floral and inviting on the nose, and has fruity aromas of preserved strawberries, herbes de Provence, crushed flowers, and sweet herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, with a good deal of intensity upfront, as well as fine tannins, snappy, angular acidity, and a nervous energy at this early stage. It will likely improve in another 6-12 months and can be enjoyed over the coming 10 years.
-
James Suckling
A confected style, showing an overtly fruity profile infused with sweet spices and a marzipan-like touch. Smooth on the palate, this has juicy acidity, ripe tannins, medium body and a cola-flavored finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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.