2016 Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmonte, Italy.
Always a great value for pure Barbraresco, this Produttori del Barbaresco is classy, delicately floral and lingering, with classic lght minty herbs, pipe tobacco, cranberry and racy ripe red fruits leading the way, along with a core of brandied cherry, tangy Damson plum. Additionally there’s some creme de violette, a touch of leather and subtle fig accents, along with tarry licorice, saline infused stones and a touch of alluring earthiness. The palate fills out nicely with this 2016 vintage showing its early potential well with some maturity, but still stays vibrant, fresh and structured throughout. With food and more time, the lingering flinty spices, dried rose petal, and iodine/savory elements given even more Nebbiolo complexity and enhance the experience with a bit more depth and concentration than the 2013, one of my favorites and less heat than the 2017 showed. This Barbaresco is sourced from various parcels and exposures, set on limestone and clay soils, rich in calcium with sandy veins, and was stainless steel vat fermented, per normal, after which it was then aged 24 months in traditional large oak casks. It is quite amazing that this wine, with 22,000 cases made, can be this good, this unique and this consistent, it is a tribute to each and everyone of the collection of individual farmers that go about their work with such pride and passion.
Modern Barbaresco, as noted in prior reviews of Produttori, came into being, or saw a significant re-awakening In 1958, when the priest of the village of Barbaresco, recognizing that the only way the small properties could survive was by joining forces, and he gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. The first three vintages were made in the church basement, then in the winery built across the square where the Produttori is still located. The Produttori as of today has 54 members and controls more than 100 hectares (250 acres) of premium Nebbiolo vineyards in Barbaresco. Before that, back in 1894, Domizio Cavazza, the headmaster of the Royal Enological School of Alba and a proud Barbaresco resident who realized that the area had a distinct terroir and was an equal to the bigger and more famous Barolo, created the first cooperative, the Cantine Sociali to compete with Barolo, he gathered together nine Barbaresco vineyard owners to make wine in the local castle that he owned, and this was how Barbaresco came into being. Sadly the fascist government of Mussolini put the original co-op out of business, but after the war and Italy’s re-birth, things started looking up for (the) Produttori del Barbaresco. These days the Cru bottlings, like their Asili, Montefico, Montestefano, Muncagota, Ovello, Pajè, Pora, Rabajà and Rio Sordo Riservas, are highly sought after, but this basic Barbaresco is a fantastic wine and a great value, especially in vintages like this. This 2016 Barbaresco is a lovely and pure expression of Nebbiolo and it has entered a nice drinking window, and I recommend you start enjoying this vintage.
($40-70 est.) 93 Points, grapelive