In Focus: Barbaresco

Light and shadow

04 Nov, 22

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

Although 2019 is generally considered an excellent vintage in Piedmont, the results of the tasting are quite heterogeneous. The year began with a warm and dry winter, but the spring was cold and rainy, resulting not only in late flowering but also an irregular fruit set. This was followed by a hot June and a balanced summer in which some of the backlog was made up. The ideal weather conditions in autumn finally made a relaxed possible without haste.

Nevertheless, some wineries seem to have harvested their grapes too early rather than too late and were not too serious about selection. Some wines lack density, complexity and fruit charm despite noticeable alcoholic strength; the tannins often turn out relatively brittle and drying and the ethereal aromas so typical of Nebbiolo sometimes turn camphor-like green. While the best wines gain depth in the air and become smoother and finer, the less good examples hardly develop positively or even in the opposite direction after opening - they become more brittle and even greener.

At the top of the vintage, as far as we have tasted it so far, are some exceptionally fine and complex wines. They are Barbaresco as we would like them to be, with elegance, depth and, for all their power, charm. Many of them are so solidly built that they should be allowed to mature for a few more years, while others are already so beguiling and accessible that it would do no harm to drink them, if not this autumn, then at least next autumn - without having to hurry, of course. For while one can assume that the brittle and sometimes a little green wines will not be much more enjoyable to drink in the future than they are today, those that present themselves harmoniously even when young generally mature best.

We have tasted 90 Barbaresco in the past weeks, 70 of them from the 2019 vintage. All relevant producers were invited, but not all of them submitted wines, which is why some well-known top producers are missing from our list so far. Since, for good reasons, we never taste at fairs, presentations or on site at the producer's, we cannot fill the gaps like this. However, we will send out another invitation this year. We will submit samples later or present them in the next "In Focus: Barbaresco" in autumn 2023.

All wines were tasted blind several times in our tasting room in Erlangen. We present the best results here. Links to all ratings with detailed descriptions as well as the producers can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

In Focus: Barbaresco Vintage 2019

Castello di Neive — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Albesani "Santo Stefano®" 50.00 €

Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Martinenga®" Up to 60.00 €

CARLO GIACOSA — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Asili" 80.00 €

Paitin — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Faset

Castello di Neive — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Gallina 45.00 €

Az. Vitivinicola Boffa Carlo — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Ovello Up to 55.00 €

Azienda Agricola Bera di Bera Valter — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Serraboella 34.00 €

Collina Serragrilli — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Starderi 50.00 €

Cortese Giuseppe Azienda Agricola — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Rabajà Up to 55.00 €

Azienda Agricola Lodali Walter — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Giacone "Lorens" 42.00 €

GAJA — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 91 WP excellent

CARLO GIACOSA — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Montefico" 60.00 €

CARLO GIACOSA — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Ovello" 45.00 €

Angelo Negro — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Basarin 90 WP excellent 33.00 €

Cortese Giuseppe Azienda Agricola — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Up to 35.00 €

Castello di Neive — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 35.00 €

Salvano srl — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 32.00 €

Paitin — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Serraboella 40.00 €

Giuseppe Negro — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Pian Cavallo" 35.00 €

Pio Cesare — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Pio" 60.00 €

Marchesi di Barolo — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG Serragrilli 40.00 €

Paitin — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Basarin 45.00 €

Az. Agr. Pelissero Pasquale di Pelissero Ornella — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG San Giuliano "Bricco"

Pertinace — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Marcarini 89 WP very good

Pelissero — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Tulin®" 60.00 €

Walter Musso — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Pora Up to 50.00 €

Mura Mura — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Faset 65.00 €

Mura Mura — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Serragrilli 70.00 €

Walter Musso — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Rio Sordo Up to 50.00 €

Mura Mura — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Starderi 70.00 €

Ottavio Lequio - Prinsi — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Gallina Up to 42.00 €

Demarie — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 35.00 €

Collina Serragrilli — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Serragrilli 35.00 €

Azienda Agricola Rivetti Dante — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Bric Micca 28.00 €

Az. Agr. Fontanabianca — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Up to 30.00 €

Poderi Luigi Einaudi — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 89 WP very good 40.00 €

Viglione Achille Sas — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Jacco" 35.00 €

Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Tettineive®" 89 WP very good 56.00 €

Batasiolo spa — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 27.00 €

Azienda Agricola Bera di Bera Valter — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 26.00 €

Paitin — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Serraboella "Sori' Paitin" 50.00 €

Az. Vitivinicola Boffa Carlo — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 30.00 €

Paolo Manzone — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG San Giuliano Up to 50.00 €

Adriano Marco e Vittorio — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Basarin Up to 40.00 €

Az. Agr. Fontanabianca — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG Bordini Up to 40.00 €

Az. Agr. Pelissero Pasquale di Pelissero Ornella — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG "Cascina Crosa"

CARLO GIACOSA — Piedmont 2019 Barbaresco DOCG 35.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Barbaresco Vintage 2018

Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Martinenga®" Up to 60.00 €

Pio Cesare — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Pio" 60.00 €

Marchesi di Barolo — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG Serragrilli 40.00 €

Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa — Piedmont 2018 Barbaresco DOCG "Tettineive®" 89 WP very good 56.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Barbaresco Vintage 2017

Castello di Neive — Piedmont 2017 Barbaresco DOCG Albesani Riserva "Santo Stefano®" 60.00 €

Socré — Piedmont 2017 Barbaresco DOCG Roncaglie Riserva Up to 80.00 €

Rossello Vini — Piedmont 2017 Barbaresco DOCG 26.50 €

All wines

In FocusBarbaresco Older vintages

Rivella Serafino — Piedmont 2013 Barbaresco DOCG Montestefano Up to 100.00 €

Produttori del Barbaresco — Piedmont 2001 Barbaresco DOCG Pora Riserva

Demarie — Piedmont 2008 Barbaresco DOCG Riserva 60.00 €

Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy — Piedmont 2004 Barbaresco DOCG Gaiun Martinenga Up to 50.00 €

Ottavio Lequio - Prinsi — Piedmont 2016 Barbaresco DOCG Riserva "Fausoni" Up to 48.00 €

Azienda Agricola Bera di Bera Valter — Piedmont 2013 Barbaresco DOCG Basarin Riserva 46.00 €

Punset di Marcarino Marina & C. sas — Piedmont 2015 Barbaresco DOCG San Cristoforo Campo Quadro Riserva

Adriano Marco e Vittorio — Piedmont 2016 Barbaresco DOCG Basarin Riserva Up to 50.00 €

Azienda Agricola Bera di Bera Valter — Piedmont 2015 Barbaresco DOCG Rabajà Riserva 50.00 €

Castello di Neive — Piedmont 2014 Barbaresco DOCG Up to 25.00 €

All wines

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