Winemaker Notes
On the nose, Barbera d'Alba Pairolero is characterized by an abundance of aromas, red fruit, black cherry and light spicy notes. On the palate the tannins are extremely velvety and balanced with the typical acidity of Barbera.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Pairolero is a classy, elegant wine, just as it was when I tasted it last year. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, cloves, licorice and mocha all meld together. Faced with a very warm year, Sottimano left more leaves and more crop on the vine with the goal of extending phenolic ripeness. It worked. The 2023 is a gorgeous wine that captures the essence of the house style.
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Wine Spectator
Aromatic, this red is eloquent, evoking saturated flavors of blackberry, black currant, violet and graphite. Vibrant and builds on the palate to the long, scintillating 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.