On April 27th,
after my study group tasted two white wines (an Arneis and a Gavi di Gavi) a
Dolcetto d’Alba and two samples of Barbera d’Alba we then tasted a Barbaresco. Of
all the wines we had tasted thus far, this Nebbiolo was the first “grid wine” of
the day in preparation for the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced exam.
The Grape
I have provided a
profile of the Nebbiolo grape in other posts, such as when I reviewed the 2005 Cascina Val del Prete Nebbiolo d’Alba,
so I won’t go into great detail here.
It produces clear light colored red wines
that tend to be ruby at the core with typical garnet and burnt orange colors at
the rim. Visually such colors can be an indication of an older red wine (such
as an aged Bordeaux) but this is indicative of a Nebbiolo even in its youth. These
colors are also similar to that of a Pinot Noir but on the palate it is far too
tannic to be mistaken for a Burgundy. So the other two wines it may be mistaken
for is a Sangiovese from Tuscany or an older Aglianico from Campania, which
isn’t a “grid wine” for the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced exam.
If you are blind
tasting a Barbaresco and you have accurately described the visual, aromatic and
structural components of the wine your closest lateral alternatives are a
Barolo (also made from Nebbiolo) and a Sangiovese from Tuscany.
Barbaresco DOCG
Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont region in an area of
the Langhe to the northeast and east of the city of Alba and in the communes of Barbaresco, Treiso (formerly
part of Barbaresco) and Neive plus that area of the frazione San Rocco
Senodelvio which was once part of the commune
of Barbaresco and now belongs to the commune
of Alba.[1] In
1966 it was granted Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status
and in 1980 it was granted Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
(DOCG) status. Barbaresco is considerably smaller than Barolo (only 1,680 acres)
so it only around 35% the production of Barolo. Consequently the wines are not
as widely available on the market.
Although Barolo and Barbaresco are both made from the
Nebbiolo grape and are produced in areas less than 10 miles from each other there
are some differences due to difference in the soils and a slight difference in
the climate. The soil in Barbaresco is richer in nutrients and is fundamentally
a calcareous marl.[2] In addition, the Barbaresco zone is located
south of the river Tanaro so it receives some maritime influence which allows
Nebbiolo to ripen a little earlier than it does in the Barolo zone. Because of
this, the vines don’t produce as much tannin and they are harvested and fermented
earlier with a shorter maceration time. So, while Barbaresco has similar aroma
and flavor profiles to Barolo the tannins are not as aggressive and under DOCG
rules it is allowed to age for a year less than Barolo.
However, this does not mean that Barolo and Barbaresco are
easily distinguishable when tasted blind. There are some Barolo wines that tend
to be similar in body, fruitiness, and perfume to Barbaresco wines particularly
those produced near the villages of La Morra and Barolo.
The Wine
The 2007 Vietti
Barbaresco is a clear, light ruby red at the core to garnet at the rim, with
just a hint of burnt orange around the edge with medium+ viscosity. On the nose
it is clean with subtle aromas macerated black cherries, ripe strawberries, roots,
herbs, anise, spice, minute notes of tar and smoke with fresh roses. It is dry
with well refined and well integrated medium+ to high tannins, medium+ acidity,
medium+ alcohol, and a medium+ length finish. It is well balanced with
exceptional complexity.
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