Barbaresco

The other great name of the Langhe, along with Barolo, Barbaresco has become known for producing some of the worlds greatest Nebbiolo wines. Situated on the right hand side of the river Tanara, Barbaresco owes its fame to rolling, limestone hills with a southerly exposure to allow the tough-skinned Nebbiolo to fully ripen. Whilst Barbaresco showcases some of the savoury, “tar and roses” character of Nebbiolo, it´s well known for being an elegant, fresh wine that often showcases Nebbiolo at its most nuanced. Castello di Verduno, Luigi Oddero, Piero Busso and Roagna all call Barbaresco home, producing some of the regions most noteworthy wines.

The Communes of Barbaresco

As a rule, the wines of Barbaresco tend to drink slightly earlier than those of Barolo. This is evidenced in many of the beautifully succulent, full bodied wines found in the Neive commune. Built around fruit expression and bold but ripe tannins, some of Barbaresco’s most lauded wines hail from Neive. The soils in Neive have a high presence of blue marls, with a deep seam of limestone and clay and big presence of Sant’Agata Fossils. These combine to make for well-draining, drier soils on the surface with a hard but relatively steady water supply towards the bedrock. The vines’ roots are forced to bury deep in in order to stabilise and thus there is a high proportion of old vines in Neive which are prized for their consistency, verticality and complexity. Hightoned, floral and bewitching Barbarescos of intensity and persistence.

BARBARESCO (BARBARESCO)

The historic commune in the heart of the appellation, Barbaresco itself produces complete, rounded expressions of Nebbiolo, resplendent with fine, linear tannins, brittle but jostling perfumes and lashings of red fruits and spices. Elevations overall are not especially high but a slightly cooler and breezier micro-climate compared to Neive means good freshness, while a high presence of sand in some of the most fabled sites such as Asili produces wines of incredible refinement and noble aroma. Rabaja, another great site, tends to display darker, spicier berried fruits, with epic energy and fine balsamic and mineral notes. For those starting out, Barbaresco tends to produce consistent, fruity and elegant wines with long aging potential. - Rabaja, Castello di Verduno - Rabaja Bas, Castello di Verduno

TREISO (BARBARESCO)

The highest commune in the Barbaresco appellation, rising to over 400m, Treiso is notably cooler than its two neighbours, in some cases ripening almost a full month later. Harder and more compact soils, more Serravallian in profile, means darker and slightly wilder-styled wines tending towards crisp, forest fruit flavours, earth, salt and spices. Where the wines are occasionally described as austere, this is rarely borne out in the best examples, which combine freshness, depth and tense, jewel-like berry flavours.