Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet red, complex and rich aromas of blackberries, spices, undergrowth, dog rose and violets. A 'classic' Barbaresco with the elegance of the Roncaglie cru, rich, enveloping and intense in the mouth. Personality and pleasantness with a very long finish of smooth tannins, and great ageing potential.
It is a great wine for the whole meal, and it perfectly pairs with red meats and feathered game.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Truffle, woodland berry, leather and violet aromas shape the nose along with spice notes. It's still young and full of nervous tension but already offers juicy raspberry, star anise and white pepper. Tightly knit, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity keep it balanced. 2027–2034.
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James Suckling
The soft tannins in this young Barbaresco are very seductive. Ripe strawberry and light chocolate with cream and berry undertones. It’s full-bodied and layered with pretty integration. Lots of tension, too. This is voluptuous for the vintage.
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Decanter
Violet, pomegranate, cherry, raspberry and licorice are pretty evident. Supple attack, quite concentrated with restrained and refined tannin. Tight and balanced finish.
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.