My favourite red wine from the Virgin Wine Event. A wonderful example of a Barbaresco. Full bodied and rich. A star of the show.
What they say:
A wine that’s known for its ability to give the purest expression of any given vintage.
A well-crafted blend of some of the greatest Barbaresco crus.
Rich, ruby colour with dried fruit, roses and sweet spice on the nose and lovely elegance on a long finish.
ABV: 14.5%
Vintage: 2021
Size: 75cl
Grape Type: Nebbiolo
Italy: Piedmont
Wine Category: Red
Wine Style: Classic Reds
At Its Best: Now – End 2031
Winemaker: Gianni Testa
The two thousand and twenty-one vintage began with a mild winter, though plenty of rain and two snow storms ensured an excellent supply of water, which proved to be essential over the course of the rest of the season, mainly dry.
A mild month of March was followed by a cooler than average April and May, with limited rainfall and chilly nights and brisk mornings until the beginning of June.
Despite the cool Spring weather, the Nebbiolo variety, which is an early developer and therefore potentially more at risk, was not significantly affected and flowering and setting went on normally. The crop load though, was not too high – an estimated 10% lower than in 2020 – reducing the need for green harvesting and giving a naturally balance yield in most of the vineyard sites. June brought warmer weather and a couple of short rainstorms and was followed by a warm, but below average July. Over all a nice summer, dry, but never too hot. An intense rainstorm come on August 2nd, with limited, localized hail damage. The middle of August, second and third week, was the hottest time of the year when the maximum temperatures were close to 35°C/95°F. First half of September remained warm while the second half brought the cooler nights so important for a proper Nebbiolo maturation.
The harvesting of Nebbiolo began on October 6th and it was over in Barbaresco by October 18th. The grapes were healthy, with optimal phenological maturity facilitated by the intense day-night temperature variations. In terms of quantity, crop loads were optimal and well-balanced, with visibly smaller berries than last year. These factors resulted in a strong polyphenolic content, essential to produce wines of structure and balance intended for lengthy ageing.
In conclusion, we can say that remarkable results have been achieved in terms of the quality of the grapes, which will produce excellent Barbaresco wines with intense aromatic complexity.
Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyard: various in the area of origin of Barbaresco
Surface: selection of grapes from the 120 hectares of property
Exposure: south, west, east Soil: clayey – calcareous with sandy veins
Vinification: fermentation in steel 28°C, 28 days on the skins, pumping over 2 times a day day, malolactic fermentation carried out
Expansion: 20 months in 50 hl oak barrels
Bottling: March 2024 Production: about 320,000 bottles
Characteristics of the vintage: medium-bodied vintage, ripe red fruit and spicy notes with well-defined tannins balanced
Characteristics of the vineyard: various vineyards in the area of origin
Longevity: 20 years from harvest
Vineyard owners: 54 contributing members
Pairings: egg pasta and white meat dishes and red