Our Master of Wine, David Allen commences a look at some of the nine individual Cru wines made by the Produttori del Barbaresco in 2017 – here he looks at the wine from the Ovello vineyard and will continue tasting two more Riserva wines from other vineyards over the next two days. The contrast evident across the wines and their differing styles was facinating to examine.
Produttori del Barbaresco is an Italian wine producing cooperative, based in the town of Barbaresco, growing Nebbiolo. As well as being one of the very finest and best-known producers in Barbaresco, it is also regarded as one of the greatest wine cooperatives in the world.
There are 51 member growers with a combined total of around 110 hectares (271 acres) of vineyards. About half the coopereative’s production is their generic Barbaresco, a wine known for its reliable quality, elegant Nebbiolo typicity and for being great value.
Produttori del Barbaresco also produces multiple different single-vineyard (cru), Riserva, Barbarescos in better vintages. These are all vinified and aged using the same winemaking techniques to highlight the differences in terroir between these crus. The portfolio is completed by a Langhe Nebbiolo, which is made from young vines in Barbaresco-classified vineyards – as such, it stands up to any Nebbiolo wine in its price bracket. The company also produces Grappa in un-aged and aged versions.
An earlier cooperative, founded in 1894, had established Barbaresco as a separate wine district rather than just a supplier of Barolo, but it was closed down in the 1930s due to Mussolini’s economic policies. By 1958, the priest of the village of Barbaresco realized that the only way the small growers of the area would survive was if they joined together. He united 19 growers under the Produttori del Barbaresco name, and the first three vintages were made in the church basement before the operation was moved across the village square to the current winery.
To find out more about this wine and where to buy it follow this link to the Wine-Searcher website: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/produttori+ovello+rsrv+docg+barbaresco+piemonte+italy/2017
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3 Comments
I really like that you don't rate the wines but rather just describe them in sort of a journalistic way. It detaches the analysis from the good wine, bad wine point of view… I went to Piemonte last summer and visited a handful of wineries in the Piemonte (those that offered walk-in tastings anyway) and I found sometimes difficult to differentiate Barolos to Barbarescos if only looking at the tannic structure which I previously thought it was the case. Value-wise I'm more in favor of Barbaresco and Roero rather than Barolo after that trip. I was particularly struck by the wines of Roche Dei Barbari which is located across the street from Produttori in Barbaresco. Unfortunately they only sell to end consumers therefore their wines are unavailable anywhere else. Cheers!
I have this wine from 2016 vintage. Still keeping. Do you think there is any significant difference between 2016 and 2017?
You’re making my mouth water David.