Barbaresco

Barbaresco

The area of production includes the entire territory of the villages of Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive, plus part of the territory of the Alba municipality.

Barbaresco is produced entirely from Nebbiolo grapes and presents an intense and brilliant colour ranging from ruby to garnet red. The bouquet is a stimulating combination of fruit including raspberries and redberry jam, geraniums and violets but also green pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, hay wood, toasted hazelnuts, vanilla and even aniseed.

Similar to its more famous sibling Barolo, Barbaresco is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo and shares its cult status as one of the finest wines in the world. However, there are several differences between the two. Barbaresco has a slightly maritime climate: warmer, drier and milder than its neighbor. This means its grapes tend to ripen earlier than those in Barolo. As a result, the wines are less tannic and more approachable at an earlier age. However there is still plenty of acidity and tannins to make this an ageworthy red. Barbaresco is characterized by its rich, spicy flavors and perfumed sweetness and is considered more elegant and refined than its counterpart, which is a more robust and longer-lived red.

Barbaresco must be left to age at least two years in oak – after four years the title ‘Riserva’ can be applied.

Piedmont

Piemonte, in the north-western corner of the Italian peninsula, sits at the foot of the Western Alps, which encircle the region to the north and west. Its seasons are very distinctive: hot, dry summers, cold winters, and temperate springs and autumns are common with occasional fog during harvest time. Located in north-west Italy, surrounded by the Alps, Piedmont means literally “foot of the Mountain” in Italian. .

The richness and elegance of Piedmontese wines go perfectly with the rich and creamy cuisine typical of Piedmont, with meat and risotto at the heart of every menu, not to mention the most notable ingredient, the white truffle (tartufi bianchi). Piedmont has the highest percentage of quality wines in the whole of Italy. It is home to some of the most robust, long-lived wines of the world, many of which are specific to Piedmont and have not excelled anywhere else in the world. The wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are two of Italy’s best. Like fine Bordeaux and Burgundy, these Nebbiolo wines age very well.

DOCs and DOCGs

DOC: Barbera d’Alba; Colli Tortonesi; Dolcetto d’Alba; Grignolino del Monferrato; Langhe; Loazzolo; Monferrato; Nebbiolo d’Alba; Rubino di Cantavenna; Piemonte

DOCG: Barbaresco; Barbera d’Asti; Barbera Nizza Superiore; Barbera del Monferrato Superiore; Barolo; Dolcetto d’Ovada; Erbaluce di Caluso; Gavi; Gattinara; Moscato d’Asti; Roero

The region’s pedigree is apparent in its 58 DOC and DOCG zones, and it has the highest percentage of classified wines in all of Italy.

Grape Varieties

Nebbiolo is the grape used in Piedmont's most important DOCGs: Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara. Barbera, a dark-skinned variety, is responsible for a growing number of superlative wines, labelled as Barbera del Monferrato, Barbera d’Asti or Barbera d'Alba.

Another important red grape is Dolcetto, with several DOCs to its name (d'Alba, d'Acqui and di Ovada are the top three). Although its name means 'little sweet one', Dolcetto gives red wines with an appetizing, gently bitter finish. Although Piedmont is known as a red-wine region, there are whites that have to be mentioned: Moscato d’Asti and sparkling Asti Spumante, both made from Moscato grapes; Gavi is the most renown still white, made from the Cortese grape, a local variety which gives a clean and citrussy white. Crisp, floral Arneis is the grape used for whites in Roero appellation..