Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The wines of Produttori del Barbaresco were my first introduction to Barbaresco. The good bit was being introduced to a producer that is now a staple in my cellar. The bad bit was all of the lesser Barbaresco I tried after that. They had set the bar high!

Barbaresco is often considered the poor cousin to Barolo. That it certainly is not! The benefit for us is the marketing hype around Barolo which is often deserved and sometimes not help keep prices of Barbaresco reasonable. Produttori produces what are undoubtedly some of the best value Barbarescos available today.

Just last week we had a 1996 Produttori del Barbaresco standard next to a 1996 Vietti Riserva Villero – in today’s money $75 vs $750. The Vietti was undoubtedly the superior wine, but, gee the Produttori held it’s own for a wine of the comparative price.

Today we offer what may be Aldo Vacca’s best suite of Crus to date. There really is an incredible amount of wisdom in his winemaking.

A rare opportunity to try the best Crus from across Barbaresco, and, explore the diversity of personalities in the wines of the region, from feminine, and, perfumed, to brooding and structured.

They are all excellent wines of distinction, with a further 5 years in the bottle they will be outstanding.  Most will easily last 20 years.

“THE 2013 RISERVAS ARE OFF THE CHARTS”

ANTONIO GALLONI

Aldo Vacca has deftly brought the Produttori del Barbaresco into modern times while making subtle changes to farming and winemaking yet maintaining the traditional style that has made this coop so adored by its rabidly loyal fan base. The changes at Produttori have been gradual to the degree they aren’t always so noticeable, but they are there. No one knows every nook and cranny of Barbaresco better than Aldo Vacca, but Vacca has also proven to be incredibly wise in making choices that have positioned the Produttori for much continued success in the future. I can’t think of too many wines that deliver this much pleasure and value. Antonio Galloni

The 2013 Vintage at Produttori del Barbaresco

The 2013 growing season was cool, delayed in both budbreak and flowering, pushing the harvest into October, compared with more recent harvests in this millennium that have occurred in September. This played into the late-ripening Nebbiolo’s hand nicely, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly in the warm days and cool nights of September and early October. Picking began the Oct. 10 and finished Oct. 24.

“The good thing about this vintage is we were able to pick late, so the tannins were able to ripen fully,” explains Vacca.

The resulting wines are classically proportioned, the result of the long, slow ripening. They are aromatic, full of fruit and firmly structured, yet with the balance and tension that will allow them to age beautifully. Give them at least five years in the cellar, though the denser wines will need a few more years before really hitting their stride.

“You can feel from this vintage that these wines are going to explode at some point after five, six or seven years,” says Vacca. “The ’11s are evolving nicely, but these have the tension to really surprise.”

All the wines were bottled in June 2017, after aging three years in 25-, 35- and 50-hectoliter casks.

“The Riservas remain exceptionally well-priced for the quality and consistency they offer. It is virtually impossible to go wrong with any of the 2013 Riservas…. In other words, it doesn’t get much better than this. I was blown away by these wines.” Antonio Galloni

A bit about Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is an incredibly challenging grape variety to grow, make, and, as a consumer, sometimes, to drink and understand.

The name incorporates ‘Nebbia’ or cloud. Driving the vineyard clad hills of Barolo or Barbaresco in Piemonte (at the foot of the mountain), you’ll often find yourself immersed in clouds! A function of the topography and the region being surround by mountains on three sides.

Nebbiolo wines tend to focus more on what we call secondary characters, earthy, truffles, violets, woody herbs, tar. The texture / mouthfeel is a hallmark of Nebbiolo. They can be extremely tannic demanding rich food to balance them, and time in the bottle to soften. No matter the quantity of tannin, the best Nebbiolo wines will always have incredible quality, depth and length of tannin.

The bunches and berries are much larger than most of the French varieties. The colour of Nebbiolo wines can range from deep and dark to rusty tap water! Yet, a pale colour is often no indicator of the depth of flavour or quality of the wine.

A bit about Barbaresco

The area of Barbaresco is only 10min from Barolo, the difference in soil and weather can mean one may have a great year whilst the other is average.

Barbaresco DOCG regulations allow for wine to be released a year earlier than Barolo. Angelo Gaja, perhaps the most famed producer of Barbaresco, has largely chosen to ignore DOCG regulation in the pursuit of excellence. There is perhaps a question over whether marketing or tending of the vineyards and wines is the reason behind their cult status.

Whilst Gaja has been in the limelight wineries like Roagna and Produttori del Barbaresco have been quietly going about the business of making some of the best value Nebbiolo’s available today.

There is no doubt that the great Barbaresco’s are every bit as good as the great Barolo’s.

As a generalisation, Barbaresco tends to be less tannic and more approachable as younger wines. This has absolutely no impact on the ability of Barbaresco to age.