Barbaresco
Encyclopedia
Barbaresco is an Italian wine
made with the Nebbiolo grape
. Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont
region in an area of the Langhe
immediately to the east of Alba
and specifically in the comune
s of Barbaresco
, Treiso
and Neive
plus that area of the frazione
San Rocco Senodelvio which was once part of the comune of Barbaresco and now belongs to the comune of Alba. It was granted Denominazione di origine controllata
(DOC) status in 1966 and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status in 1980. The wine is often compared with Barolo
-another Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them.
and among members of the House of Savoy
in the incarnation of Barolo, the Barbaresco style wine was always more obscure and less widely known. The sweet style common in Barbaresco was partially a product of circumstance though the fashion of European tastes at the time did prize some of the sweetness. The Nebbiolo grape tends to ripen late into October and temperatures in the region after harvest
were cool enough to significantly slow down (or in some cases halt) fermentation
. This process typically left the wine with noticeable amounts of residual sugar. In the 1890s, an enology professor in Alba was able to utilize a heated fermentation tank to achieve full fermentation of Barbaresco to a dry wine. After World War II
, wineries in the area began to refocus on Barbaresco and increasing the reputation of the wine from outside the region. In the 1960s, the Gaja
and Bruno Giacosa
wineries began to market Barbaresco internationally with some success.
marl
dating from the Tortonian
epoch
. The area is typically divided into three regions based on the principal towns of the area-Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso. The soil and climate of the three areas are very uniform to each other which creates more across the board consistency than what would be found among the 11 communities in the Barolo zone.
, Dolcetto
and Moscato
but this region is known for making some of the most powerful and tannic expressions of Barbaresco. The area is also home to the highly esteemed Nebbiolo vineyards of Santo Stefano and Bricco di Neive whose names are starting to appear on some single vineyard bottlings. Located east of Barbaresco, Neive is responsible for 31% of Barbaresco's production and makes some of the most full bodied and tannic examples of the wine.
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% of the Barbaresco zone's production.
-like cru
s based on which areas produced the best wines. The Italian wine critic Luigi Veronelli
created one such list in the 1960s and other writers and viticulturist attempted to create their own in the 1970s. Today many follow the lists compiled by the négociant
based on which grapes are more highly priced based on performance. These lists typically include the Montefico, Montestefano and Rabajà vineyards in Barbaresco, the Albesani, Santo Stefano, Bricco di Neive and Gallina vineyards in Neive, and the Pajorè vineyard in Treiso.
. The wines must have a minimum 12.5% alcohol level though most wines are closer to 13.5%. Well-made examples of Barbaresco wines are expected to be aged at least 5 to 10 years after vintage
before they are consumed, as they are extremely tannic 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 flavor notes of cherry, truffles, fennel
and licorice. As the wine ages, it can develop smoky notes and more earthy and animal flavors like leather and tar.
time. The early tannins in a young Barbaresco are not quite 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 in body, fruitiness, and perfume to Barbaresco wines are generally the ones produced near the villages of La Morra
and Barolo. The most pronounced difference between the two wines is that the tannins of Barbaresco tend to soften 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 annual production of Barbaresco is around 35% the production of Barolo and therefore the wines are not as widely available out on the market. However, the smaller area does generally produce more consistent profiles among the Barbarescos than across the more expansive Barolo zone.
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
made with the Nebbiolo grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
. Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont
Piemonte (wine)
Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the province of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy.The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape...
region in an area of the Langhe
Langhe
The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy....
immediately to the east of Alba
Alba, Italy
Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is considered the capital of the hilly area of Langhe, and is famous for its white truffle, peach and wine production...
and specifically in the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
s of Barbaresco
Barbaresco (CN)
Barbaresco is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 656 and an area of 7.6 km².Barbaresco borders the following municipalities: Alba,...
, Treiso
Treiso
Treiso is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 50 km northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 764 and an area of 9.5 km²....
and Neive
Neive
Neive is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo...
plus that area of the frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
San Rocco Senodelvio which was once part of the comune of Barbaresco and now belongs to the comune of Alba. It was granted Denominazione di origine controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC) status in 1966 and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status in 1980. The wine is often compared with Barolo
Barolo
Barolo is a red Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines...
-another Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them.
History
Historically the Nebbiolo grape was used to produce slightly sweet wines and while it gained fashion in the TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and among members of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
in the incarnation of Barolo, the Barbaresco style wine was always more obscure and less widely known. The sweet style common in Barbaresco was partially a product of circumstance though the fashion of European tastes at the time did prize some of the sweetness. The Nebbiolo grape tends to ripen late into October and temperatures in the region after harvest
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
were cool enough to significantly slow down (or in some cases halt) fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
. This process typically left the wine with noticeable amounts of residual sugar. In the 1890s, an enology professor in Alba was able to utilize a heated fermentation tank to achieve full fermentation of Barbaresco to a dry wine. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, wineries in the area began to refocus on Barbaresco and increasing the reputation of the wine from outside the region. In the 1960s, the Gaja
Gaja (wine)
Gaja is an Italian wine producer from the Piemonte region in the district of Langhe, chiefly producing a number of Barbaresco and Barolo wines, and later diversified into Brunello and "Super-Tuscan" production...
and Bruno Giacosa
Bruno Giacosa
Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa, in tandem with the label Azienda Agricola Falletto , is an Italian wine producer from the Piemonte region in the district of Langhe situated in Neive, who produces a number of Barbaresco and Barolo wines, as well as other bottlings of Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto and a...
wineries began to market Barbaresco internationally with some success.
Wine regions
The soils of Barbaresco zone are composed primarily of calcareousCalcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
dating from the Tortonian
Tortonian
The Tortonian is in the geologic timescale an age or stage of the late Miocene that spans the time between 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma and 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma . It follows the Serravallian and is followed by the Messinian....
epoch
Epoch (reference date)
In the fields of chronology and periodization, an epoch is an instance in time chosen as the origin of a particular era. The "epoch" then serves as a reference point from which time is measured...
. The area is typically divided into three regions based on the principal towns of the area-Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso. The soil and climate of the three areas are very uniform to each other which creates more across the board consistency than what would be found among the 11 communities in the Barolo zone.
Barbaresco
The vineyards around the town of Barbaresco are responsible for 45% of the region's Barbaresco production with many of the area's largest wineries located in town. Wines from this area tend to be relatively light in color and body but very well structured and aromatic.Neive
In Neive, the Nebbiolo grape is fourth in plantings behind the cultivation of BarberaBarbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, low tannins and high levels of acid...
, Dolcetto
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the...
and Moscato
Muscat (grape and wine)
The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world...
but this region is known for making some of the most powerful and tannic expressions of Barbaresco. The area is also home to the highly esteemed Nebbiolo vineyards of Santo Stefano and Bricco di Neive whose names are starting to appear on some single vineyard bottlings. Located east of Barbaresco, Neive is responsible for 31% of Barbaresco's production and makes some of the most full bodied and tannic examples of the wine.
Treiso
Vineyard classifications
Beginning in the late 19th century, there have been attempts to classify the area's vineyards into BurgundianBurgundy wine
Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as "Burgundies" - are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from...
-like cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
s based on which areas produced the best wines. The Italian wine critic Luigi Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli was an Italian gastronome and intellectual. He is remembered as one of the central figures in the appreciation and promotion of Italy's gastronomic heritage...
created one such list in the 1960s and other writers and viticulturist attempted to create their own in the 1970s. Today many follow the lists compiled by the négociant
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
based on which grapes are more highly priced based on performance. These lists typically include the Montefico, Montestefano and Rabajà vineyards in Barbaresco, the Albesani, Santo Stefano, Bricco di Neive and Gallina vineyards in Neive, and the Pajorè vineyard in Treiso.
Wines
DOCG regulations stipulate that Barbaresco wines must be aged for a minimum of 2 years (at least 1 year in oak) prior to release and aged for at least 4 years to be considered a riservaReserve wine
Reserve wine is a term given to a specific wine to imply that is of a higher quality than usual, or a wine that has been aged before being sold, or both. Traditionally winemakers would "reserve" some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term.In some countries the use of...
. The wines must have a minimum 12.5% alcohol level though most wines are closer to 13.5%. Well-made examples of Barbaresco wines are expected to be aged at least 5 to 10 years after vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
before they are consumed, as they are extremely tannic 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 flavor notes of cherry, truffles, fennel
Fennel
Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
and licorice. As the wine ages, it can develop smoky notes and more earthy and animal flavors like leather and tar.
Differences with Barolo
Despite being made from the same grape and produced in neighboring areas less than 10 miles from each other, the wines of Barbaresco and Barolo do have some distinct differences. Located south of the river Tanaro, the Barbaresco zone receives a slight maritime influence which allows Nebbiolo to ripen here a little earlier than it does in the Barolo zone. This allows the grape to get to fermentation earlier with a shorter macerationMaceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
time. The early tannins in a young Barbaresco are not quite 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 in body, fruitiness, and perfume to Barbaresco wines are generally the ones produced near the villages of La Morra
La Morra
La Morra is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 40 km northeast of Cuneo...
and Barolo. The most pronounced difference between the two wines is that the tannins of Barbaresco tend to soften 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 annual production of Barbaresco is around 35% the production of Barolo and therefore the wines are not as widely available out on the market. However, the smaller area does generally produce more consistent profiles among the Barbarescos than across the more expansive Barolo zone.