Winemaker Notes
Marchesi di Barolo Barbera d'Alba Ruvei is a vivid ruby with purple nuances. The aroma is fresh, with fruity notes reminiscent of blackberry and red berries jam, and spicy scents of vanilla and roasted hazelnuts. The taste is full and enveloping, with a very slight acid note. The woody notes merge well with the other flavors.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a saturated red/magenta color, the 2023 Barbera D'Alba Ruvei has a more classic and lightly rustic feel, though it’s well-managed. A toasty and ripe profile emerges on the nose, with notes of cedar, dusty earth, plum, leather, and floral oils. Medium-bodied, it has a supple, rounded texture with ripe tannins and good depth, and it retains enough acidity that it casts a wide net to enjoy now or over the next several years. It was aged about a year, partly in large Slavonian oak barrels and partly in stainless steel. Ruvei is a fantasy name to remember the tradition of the region. There are roughly 150,000 bottles produced. Drink 2026-2032.
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James Suckling
A ripe wine with aromas of red cherries, fresh plums, leaves and flowers. Light-bodied, it shows crisp yet integrated acidity, a silky texture and a typical finish.
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.