Barbaresco is anItalian wine made with theNebbiologrape. Barbaresco is produced in thePiedmont region in an area of theLanghe immediately to the east ofAlba and specifically in thecomunes ofBarbaresco,Treiso andNeive plus that area of thefrazione San Rocco Seno d'Elvio which was once part of thecomune of Barbaresco and now belongs to thecomune of Alba. It was grantedDenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1966 andDenominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status in 1980. The wine is often compared withBarolo—another Nebbiolo-based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them.
The area under vine has increased dramatically over the last few decades - from 484 hectares in the early 1990s to 733 hectares in 2019.[1]
Although it was already well known for the quality of its Nebbiolo grapes, the widely accepted birthdate of Barbaresco is 1894, when Cantina Sociale di Barbaresco was founded, as before that date Nebbiolo grapes from the Barbaresco area were mostly sold to Barolo producers.[2] Domizio Cavazza, a young and brilliant agronomist born in Modena, was named to be the founding director of Alba's Royal Enological School in 1881, and soon started to develop its passion for Barbaresco, which led to his purchase of a farm and a vineyard in 1886. He cultivated its vineyard with Nebbiolo and with a group of nine growers founded the Cantina Sociale, outfitted with barrels and winemaking equipment in order to produce what are considered the first wines to be officially called Barbaresco. After a good start, Barbaresco fell on hard times withWorld War I and the premature death of Cavazza in 1915.[2]
It was not until the late 1950s that Barbaresco would stir to life again thanks to a new generation of dynamic winemakers, including Bruno Giacosa and Angelo Gaja. In addition, the local parish priest, Don Fiorino Marengo, foundedProduttori del Barbaresco cooperative cellar, the successor to Cavazza's original vision to make outstanding wine and stop the exodus of young farmers who were abandoning the countryside.[2]
By the late 1960s, theGaja andBruno Giacosa wineries began to market Barbaresco internationally with some success.[3] The Produttori cooperative became one of the most respected cellars in Italy and inspired more landholders in Barbaresco to return to their vineyards and to make quality wine.[2]
Thesoils of Barbaresco zone are composed primarily ofcalcareousmarl dating from theTortonianepoch. The area is typically divided into three regions based on the principal towns of the area - Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso.[3] The soil and climate of the three areas are very uniform, which creates more across-the-board consistency than is found among the 11 communities in the Barolo zone.[4]
The vineyards around the town of Barbaresco make up for 45 per cent of Barbaresco production with many of the area's largest wineries located in town. Wines from this area tend to be relatively light in colour and body, but very well structured and aromatic.[4]
In Neive, the Nebbiolo grape is fourth in plantings behind the cultivation ofBarbera,Dolcetto andMoscato (it has been termed the "township of four wines")[1] but this region is known for making some of the most powerful and tannic expressions of Barbaresco. Neive now has 265 hectares of Nebbiolo, up from 140 hectares in 1995.[1] The area is also home to the highly esteemed Nebbiolo vineyards ofSanto Stefano in thecru ofAlbesani, with its ideal south-western exposure in the centre of the Albesani hill, andBricco di Neive whose names are starting to appear on some single-vineyard bottlings.[3] The latter is located in the south-east of the region, between the villages of Moniprandi and Cascina Spessa. Despite the high altitude the Nebbiolo wines here are rich in volume, while Moscato is widely grown.[5] Located east of Barbaresco and the largest of the villages,[5] Neive is responsible for 31 per cent of Barbaresco's production and makes some of the most full-bodied and tannic examples of the wine.[4]
The area is bisected by a valley, in the midst of which lies the village of Neive itself.[5]
The vineyards have been described by Masnaghetti as lying in three distinct subregions:
Thenorthern area contains gentle ridges.
Thesouthwestern region makes up a low hill with the Cascina San Cristoforo lying right on top. A gentle slope runs down toward the Barbaresco village to the west. Steeper slopes lie to the south and east, the latter marked by a deep basin at the edge of the hill.
Thesoutheastern region is a series of ridges.Moscato is a significant grape here, mostly planted in the cooler areas facing eastwards, whileNebbiolo is more common on the warmer ridges with a westerly orientation.
Located south of Barbaresco, with vineyards on the highest hilltop sites in the area, Treiso wines tend to be the lightest in body and are principally known for their finesse. A smaller area, Treiso accounts for 20 per cent of the Barbaresco zone's production.[4]
Beginning in the late 19th century, there have been attempts to classify the area's vineyards intoBurgundian-likecrus based on which areas produced the best wines. The Italian wine criticLuigi Veronelli created one such list in the 1960s and other writers andviticulturist attempted to create their own in the 1970s. Today many follow the lists compiled by thenégociant based on which grapes are more highly priced based on performance. These lists typically include theAsili,Martinenga,Montefico, Montestefano andRabajà vineyards in Barbaresco, theAlbesani, Santo Stefano, Bricco di Neive andGallina vineyards in Neive, and thePajorè vineyard in Treiso.[3]
In 2007 the Barbaresco Consorzio was the first to introduce theMenzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (additional geographic mentions) also known asMEGA orsubzones; there were 65 officially approved subzones, with one more approved in 2010 which brought the final number to 66.[2] The main goal was to put official boundaries to some of the most storied crus in order to protect them from unjustified expansion and exploitation.[2] Following the introductions of subzones the term Vigna (Italian for vineyard) can be used on labels after its respective MEGA and only if the vineyard lies within one of the approved MEGA.[2]
DOCG regulations stipulate that Barbaresco wines must be aged for a minimum of 2 years (at least 9 months in wooden barrels) prior to release and aged for at least 4 years to be considered ariserva. The wines must have a minimum 12.5 per centalcohol level though most wines are closer to 13.5 per cent. Well-made examples of Barbaresco wines are expected to be aged at least 5 to 10 years aftervintage before they are consumed, as they are extremelytannic and tight in their youth, and some continue to drink well even after 20 years. The typical style of a Barbaresco has bouquets of roses or violets with flavour notes of cherry,truffles,fennel and liquorice.[3] As the wine ages, it can develop smoky notes and more earthy and animal flavours like leather and tar.[6]
Despite being made from the same grape and produced in neighbouring areas, less than 10 miles from each other, the wines of Barbaresco and Barolo do have some distinct differences. Located south of the riverTanaro, the Barbaresco zone receives a slightmaritime influence which allows Nebbiolo to ripen a little earlier than it does in the Barolo zone, allowing earlier fermentation with a shortermaceration time. The early tannins in a young Barbaresco are notquite as harsh as Barolo and under DOCG rules it is allowed to age for a year less than Barolo. The Barolo wines that tend to be closer inbody, fruitiness, and perfume to Barbaresco wines are generally the ones produced near the villages ofLa Morra andBarolo.[3] The most pronounced difference between the two wines is that the tannins of Barbaresco tend tosoften quicker, which can make the wines more approachable to drink at an earlier age but won't allow it to age for as long as a traditionally made Barolo could. The smaller vineyard areas mean that the annual production of Barbaresco is around 35 per cent of the production of Barolo and therefore the wines are not as widely available on the market. However, the smaller area does generally produce more consistent profiles among the Barbarescos than across the more expansive Barolo zone.[4]
Source:[5]
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