Barbaresco
Barbaresco DOCG on Vinoly: Gaja, Roagna and the great crus of Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso. 100% Nebbiolo with at least 26 months of ageing, more elegant and ready than Barolo, as long-lived in the best vintages.
What Barbaresco is
Barbaresco is a DOCG red wine of the Langhe, 100% Nebbiolo, made in the communes of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (a hamlet of Alba), on the right bank of the Tanaro. Minimum ageing 26 months, 9 in wood; Riserva 50. It is Barolo's "sister" appellation, born as DOC in 1966 and DOCG in 1980.
How it differs from Barolo
Same grape, lighter soils (calcareous marls), a slightly milder climate thanks to the river: grapes ripen sooner and the wines are more elegant, with finer tannins and scents of rose, violet, raspberry and spice. It is ready a few years before Barolo, but in great vintages ages just as long.
The crus and the producers
Asili, Rabajà, Martinenga, Montestefano, Pajè, Sorì Tildìn, Sorì San Lorenzo, Costa Russi: the names that made the appellation famous. Angelo Gaja, since the sixties, took Barbaresco to the world with his crus; Bruno Giacosa fixed its classic style; Roagna stands for the tradition of long macerations and very long ageing. On Vinoly you find Gaja and Roagna.
When to drink it
Ready five or six years after harvest, at its peak between ten and twenty; the crus of Gaja and Roagna beyond. Reference vintages: 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016.
How to serve it and with what
17-18 °C, wide glass, an hour in the decanter if young. Roast red meats, feathered game, tajarin with truffle, agnolotti del plin, medium-aged cheeses.
How much a Barbaresco costs
Entry-level Barbaresco from the great producers starts at a few tens of euros; Gaja's historic crus exceed a thousand. On Vinoly every bottle states vintage, format and who sells it; for the rarest labels the price is on request.