Fletcher Barbaresco ‘Faset’ 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Sometimes it takes an outsider to truly appreciate the gifts and potential of a region. I first met Dave Fletcher, a native of Australia, at Ceretto, where he is the winemaker. A few years ago Fletcher started making wines under his own label at a tiny cellar that was once a train station in the flats of Barbaresco, below Marchesi di Grèsy. The first wines are certainly impressive. In a very short time, by Italian standards, Fletcher has managed to forge some pretty strong relationships that give him access to top-tier fruit. More importantly, Fletcher clearly understands the potential of Piedmont, something not all of the locals do, and he has the ambition, commitment and sheer drive to go after his dreams. That’s pretty impressive stuff in my book. Antonio Galloni

About Dave Fletcher

I consider myself lucky to be making wines in the Langhe and even luckier that I have no legacy to follow. It’s led to a freedom to play and deconstruct tradition, all in an attempt to start afresh without any boundaries. I’m on a constant search for great vineyards, and always trying to make wines that give a sense of passion and place. Not all of them are single vineyards, because I think great things can come from careful crafting. Not all the wines will be produced each year either, as nature dictates most of what I do.

I use everything I’ve learnt from my experiences of making wine and working in the vineyards around the world, pulling out the methodology that I believe in and then injecting a few twists and turns…….Hopefully it all works for you!

In the Vineyard

50% of the vineyards I work with are certified organic and the other half is under conversion. As a day job I work for one of the biggest Biodynamic producers in Barolo and Barbaresco. I believe 100% in these techniques for my own grape production and strive for better health and lower impact for the vines and their surroundings. Not wanting to contribute to an ever increasing mono-culture in the Langhe, I offset the land used for my grape production with ownership of the equivalent area in Forest, swamp and grasslands rich in biodiversity.

Denomination: BARBARESCO D.O.C.G.
Comunes: Barbaresco
Variety: 100% Nebbiolo

This wine is a take on the tradition of blending vineyards that the region was once famous for and continues to be so with the wines like Monfortino and Gaja (in the past). It is a wine built to express the best of the region, in the sense that sourcing fruit from several vineyards allows for the art of blending to come into action. Should one vineyard not perform to its best in a particular vintage, it will not be included in the blend. Each vineyard adds to the different layers of the wine and enhances its complexity.

In the Winery

For those that need to know…..I use 100% spontaneous fermentation but with a ‘pied de cuve’ method. It is macerated for 2 weeks post sugar dryness and then put into 300L 10 year old French oak barriques. It is aged in oak for a period of 2 years.I use old wood in the form of Barriques and Botte Grande. Sometimes I have to buy new wood to get old wood and this gets used on the X-blend and the Chardonnay. I never, ever, filter the wines or use fining agents!

Where in the World is Fletcher?

Dave Fletcher is based in Barbaresco with his best plots in the Communes of Barbaresco (Roncaglie & Fasset) & Neive (Starderi).