Winemaker Notes
Ruby Red. Ripe, broad red fruit with an earthy character. Full-bodied and intense with rich tannins and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of sandalwood, rosewood and damson plums lead the nose of this Barbaresco. As the wine develops, notes of violet and dark spices emerge. There is a seriousness to the palate. The dark fruits are standing at attention as savory flavors fill out the ranks. Firm but not overpowering, the tannins show grace yet remain taut and polished, ready for review.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Deep red in color, the 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pora has a stunningly layered and pure nose and a distilled feel, with aromas of raspberry liqueur, fresh lavender, wet stone, sweet earth, and fresh sage. It offers wonderful energy on the palate, with ripe, velvety tannins, and even though it’s medium-bodied, it’s not lacking for depth, revealing notes of tea leaf and bergamot on its long finish. It’s going to be an age-worthy wine to drink 2026-2046.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Produtori del Barbaresco 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pora represents a classic vintage that was cooler compared to 2020. This results in medium-plus concentration and a velvety texture. The bouquet shows blackberry, spice and sweet earth. This is a pretty wine with some grit to the tannins but otherwise shows a soft and accessible personality.
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Wine Spectator
Full of cherry, strawberry, rose, stone and spice flavors, this tightly knit red is both open and muscular, with refined tannins exerting themselves on the finish. Broad and intense, with plenty of energy on the finish.
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James Suckling
Attractive notes of red currants and cherries with hints of cedar, walnuts and crushed stones. Juicy with bright fruit and firm, chalky tannins. Medium- to full-bodied. It’s lingering and lightly chewy at the end with notes of bitter oranges.
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.