Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Rio Sordo’ 2020

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.

I while ago I 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.

There really is an incredible amount of wisdom in Aldo Vacca’s 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 few more years in the bottle they will be a truckload of fun.

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 2020 Vintage at Produttori del Barbaresco

From Produttori del Barbaresco

The 2020 vintage began with a relatively mild and dry winter, temperatures above average and precipitations and snowfalls few and far between. The first part of spring was relatively dry and sunny, ensuring a homogeneous resumption of plant growth, with bud breaking starting at the beginning of March. A couple of rainy days in April and more so in May when the climate was unstable climate and continued until late June. On the one hand, the advantage built up at the beginning of spring was worn out by the slowing down in plant growth, while on the other hand, the accumulation of water in the soil, combined with not overly high temperatures during the summer, prevented water stress issues. As far as production volume is concerned, green harvest was necessary in the summer to balance a relatively abundant crop.

The “heat wave” came in August with two weeks of day temperature above 90°F. Some rain at the end of the month helped to cool down the climate helping a more balance ripening of the grapes. First three weeks of September were mild with little temperature excursion between night and day, last week brought cooler nights and helped a better aromatic concentration.

Nebbiolo proved to be in excellent condition when it was ready for picking at the very beginning of October. Growth was constant, rather than exponential, with nice balance of aromas and tannins. The early start of the season and the good water supply through the summer kept a good acidity level while also allowing excellent sugar accumulation.

In conclusion, also considering grape ripening control data, the 2020 vintage in Barbaresco can be said to be extremely good with points of excellence, not as full bodied as some of the vintages before, but complete and complex enough to produce medium-long ageing potential wines.

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.