Barbaresco

Barbaresco is one of the most prestigious Italian wines made from 100% Nebbiolo. While Barolo is often called “the King of wines”, Barbaresco is known as “the Queen”.

The typical Barbaresco wine has a complex flavour of dried rose, liquorice, and dried red fruits. Depending on the style of oak ageing – from small barriques to large oak barrels – expect a varying intensity of black pepper, cloves, espresso, and cinnamon.

Buy Barbaresco wine or learn more Barbaresco DOCG below…

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Barbaresco in the Official Registry

First historical record: 1894 - Domizio Cavazza, director of the Royal Oenology School in Alba, founds the first Barbaresco cooperative
Official registration: 1966 - Barbaresco DOC registered. 1980 - Barbaresco elevated to DOCG
Consorzio: Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani
Region: Langhe, Piemonte
Area under vine: 677 hectares
Annual production: 4.3 million 75cl bottles (equivalent) [2019, 2]

Where Barbaresco wine is made

Barbaresco DOCG is located on the Langhe hills 3 miles north-east from Barolo, and surrounds three villages: Neive, Treiso and Barbaresco.

How does Barbaresco compare to Barolo? Both appellations live very close to each other on the Langhe hills, but there are distinct differences. In Barbaresco, the hills here are 50 metres lower than in Barolo, and Nebbiolo grapes are planted on south-facing slopes, between 150-350 metres for optimal ripeness (the cooler, north-facing slopes are used for white grapes). Barbaresco is slightly warmer than Barolo, because its hills are closer to the Tanaro river, and Nebbiolo here ripens seven days earlier.

Francone Vineyard Gallina MGA Barbaresco DOCG — Gallina MGA Barbaresco DOCG. Credit: Francone Vini

Barbaresco DOCG has 677 hectares of vineyards, producing 4.3 million bottles of Barbaresco wine (ISMEA, 2019) – both about three times less than Barolo. The soils in Barbaresco are predominantly of Tortonian formation, rich in calcareous marls, but less sandy. Thanks to this, Barbaresco wines offer more structure and power, and are very age-worthy.

In 2007, Barbaresco officially recognised 66 areas as “cru”, or menzioni geografiche aggiuntive (MGA). They help wine connoisseurs to know the exact vineyard a particular Barbaresco bottle came from (official MGA map), and relate to its terroir. Such single-vineyard wines are considered the finest examples of the appellation. The cru vineyard names are mentioned on the label after the word “Barbaresco”.

We are proud to offer award-winning single-vineyard Barbaresco wines from the Fausoni cru and from the Gallina cru, as well as Barbaresco Riserva.

Sources:

[1] MiPAAF (1970-2010)
[2] ISMEA (2019)

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