Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Glorious aromas of coffee, vanilla and exotic spices mark the nose of this very impressive red. Strapping tannins are the backdrop for dense mineral, tar and leather flavors which carry over to the lingering finish. This is a wine built for the long haul. The tannins should start to be approachable in 2012 while the fruit density will carry it to 2020 and beyond.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2004 Barbaresco is a beautiful wine endowed with expressive aromatics and an attractive core of ripe red fruit. Subtle notes of spices, smoke, tar and licorice add complexity. The wine possesses outstanding length and refined tannins that will only become more elegant with further bottle age. The Barbaresco is made from various estate-owned vineyards in Treiso. Roughly 30% of the wine was aged in French oak, which gives this Barbaresco a slightly modern accent without compromising what is a mostly traditional interpretation of Nebbiolo. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and fruity, with plum, flowers and fresh mushroom on the nose. Full-bodied, with soft, round tannins and lots of stylish fruit. Pretty and refined. Has wonderful balance and richness. Best after 2010. 2,500 cases made.
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.