Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Barbaresco Riserva 2017

The northern most vineyard in the village of Barbaresco. It is later ripening, cooler and therefore excels in the warmer years. High clay content leads to big and aggressive tannins making this cru one of the longest aging long with Montesefano, Muncagota and Montefico. This wine shows floral notes, red fruits, celery salt, chocolatey oak and currants. Big tannins, plush mouthfeel and quite stony. It certainly needs some time in bottle to evolve 10 years minimum but 15 -30 ideally. I've seen old examples that are magnificent. A duck ragu with handmade pappardelle worked well . The Produttori del Barbaresco represents 56 growers in the Barbaresco wine zone who tend their 100 hectares of Nebbiolo vines for the winemaking cooperative, located in the heart of the region. In years following exceptional growing conditions where the grapes are of the highest quality from their specific vineyard sites, the winery will vinify these parcels separately and label them individually. When the vintage conditions have not been ideal, the single vineyards are all blended together and put under their standard Barbaresco label. There are nine single vineyards under the Produttori del Barbaresco label. Their names are Muncagota, Pora, Rio Sordo, Paje, Asili, Rabaja, Ovello, Montefico and Montestefano. These wines are all made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes and are fermented on their skins for 28 days, then aged for 36 months in large oak casks, followed by two years in bottle to qualify as a Riserva.” I’ve been lucky to taste a range of their single cru wines. Tanninc, earthy, minerally, savoury, spicy, subtle but layered. A brilliant wine but it needs another 15-20 years. I think Barbaresco (and its close cousin Barolo) are some of the best wines in the world and should be part of everyone’s cellar. Barbaresco DOCG – Often overshadowed by the more famous Barolo, it is also 100% Nebbiolo but only requires 2 years aging (4 for Riserva). The vintages seem to be the same for both regions but the Barbaresco wines tend to be more elegant and of lighter body. The villages here are Treviso, Nieve and Barbaresco. Nebbiolo – Famously producing long lived red wines which are light of colour, but abundant in tannin from Barolo, Barbaresco and various other local wines. This is the variety that defines the region. Typical flavours include: Tar, roses, anise, cherry, blackberry and truffle. Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Barbaresco Riserva 2017