Barbaresco
Barbaresco, seen as the more elegant counterpart of Barolo, spreads over 763 ha under vines (a third of Barolo’s ha), and is divided into four communes.
The Nebbiolo grape is said to ripen earlier here because of the gentler altitude – up to 450 metres – and the proximity to the Tanaro river. The legal guidelines for ageing reflect this, requiring only 26 months minimum of ageing for Barbaresco compared to 38 months for Barolo. Along with altitude, soil variations are another reason for their flavour differences: Barolo and Barbaresco are both limestone-based soils, but Barbaresco's soil is comparatively younger. Stylistically, Barbaresco is often described as a more elegant version of Barolo but, like its neighbour, its wines can come in a diverse spectrum of styles and are never without energy and power.
Barbaresco
-
(6x75cl) 2017Drenched in a tradition of viticulture excellence, the Fontanabianca Barbaresco Sori Burdin 2017 is a testament to the mastery of the famed winemakers in Piedmont, Italy. A product of the revered Langhe sub-region, the grapes enjoy a microclimate perfectly balanced between maritime and continental influences. Meticulous hand-harvesting and attentive vinification result in a wine the colour of royal garnet, marked by complex aromatics that meld wild berries, spices, and hints of violet. Aged for two years in large Slavonian oak barrels, its tannic structure is beautifully refined while maintaining the weighty impact desired of such a prestigious Nebbiolo wine. Indeed, it is the pride of Fontanabianca, a family-owned winery with an illustrious history dating back to 1969. The Fontanabianca Barbaresco Sori Burdin 2017 consistently earns accolades for its elegance, potency, and remarkable capacity for longevity.
د.إ476.00 -
Vinous (96)
Gaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it.د.إ4,415.00 -
James Suckling (97)
Aromas of ripe strawberries with hazelnuts, blood oranges and some coconut. Full-bodied with very refined and polished tannins that nicely form this young red wine. Fresh and delicious aftertaste of berry, cedar, bark and dark chocolate. Ever so subtle, yet powerful and driven at the finish. Very long and intense. Very classical style to it and cooler. This is a blend of seven vineyards including the Costa Russi and Sori Tilden. Approachable now, but better after 2025 and onwards.د.إ4,225.00 -
The Wine Independent (97)
Gaja's 2019 Barbaresco was bottled only a few days before this tasting but it already has sweet roses and red fruits on the nose with very subtle, gentle spice notes. It has a great texture and flows gracefully across the palate. It feels very harmonious with plenty of refreshing acidity and finely integrated tannins. Sublimely elegant with a fine, silt-like texture to the tannins, it is poised, beautifully understated and charming. Keep for 2 years and drink for up to 20 plus.د.إ4,505.00 -
Vinous (94)
“The 2010 Barbaresco Riserva Vanotu 60th Anniversary Limited Edition is drinking beautifully. Silky and perfumed, the 2010 is now entering its first plateau of maturity. Sweet tobacco, dried flowers, menthol and coffee lend striking aromatic complexity as the 2010 opens in the glass. The 2010 is rich and layered, as all of Giorgio Pelissero's wines are, but time has mellowed some of that exuberance.”د.إ2,205.00 -
Vinous (94)
“The 2010 Barbaresco Riserva Vanotu 60th Anniversary Limited Edition is drinking beautifully. Silky and perfumed, the 2010 is now entering its first plateau of maturity. Sweet tobacco, dried flowers, menthol and coffee lend striking aromatic complexity as the 2010 opens in the glass. The 2010 is rich and layered, as all of Giorgio Pelissero's wines are, but time has mellowed some of that exuberance.”د.إ2,750.00 -
The impeccable character of the Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 2019 originates from the heart of Piedmont, Italy, renowned for its premium red wines. This outstanding vintage masterfully encapsulates the dedication of the Cortese family to sustainable viticulture and precise winemaking. Grown on calcareous clay soils coupled with meticulous hand-harvesting, the Nebbiolo grapes express an unrivalled potency and elegance. The wine undergoes fermentation in stainless steel tanks and ageing in Slavonian oak casks for 22 months, which reinforces its multifaceted, dense palate and delicate tannins. The Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 2019 boasts of an intense ruby red hue and offers an enchanting bouquet of wild berries, rose petals and subtle spices. Its well-structured, velvety nuances makes it a wonderful accompaniment to hearty meat dishes, mature cheeses and truffles. Truly, a sublime union of tradition, terroir and time, the Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 2019 is an excellent addition to a discerning wine aficionado’s collection.
د.إ957.00 -
د.إ1,815.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is simply magnificent. Bright floral overtones and red/purplish berry fruit give the Montestefano a feeling of focus and explosive energy that is compelling. Hints of mocha, leather, smoke, lavender and a whole range of balsamic inflections open up in the glass, revealing a Barbaresco of power, structure and complexity. Ample in feel and yet wonderfully vibrant, the Montestefano is wonderfully complete. It is also one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from La Ca' Nova. The Montestefano is a bit more showy today than the Montefico, but both wines are remarkable.د.إ1,945.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2019 Barbaresco Montestefano shows the greater body and breadth that is typical of this site vis-à-vis the Montefico. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice, leather and rosewater build in the glass. The 2019 marries pliant fruit with explosive energy along with the searing tannins that are typical of this very young vintage. The 2019 is quite simply mind-blowingly great. It might be even better with more time in bottle!د.إ1,220.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)
This is savoury, dry in the best possible way, with a ton of red fruits, dried roses and herbs, and waves of fragrance. It’s a successful blend where the Sangiovese is dominant, conferring the wine with its warm personality but the Cabernet Sauvignon adds a touch of austerity to the tannins and a sense of quiet confidence. Turmeric and olive tapenade as it opens, alongside raspberry, red cherry and smoky oak, the whole thing both extremely delicate and intensely fragrant. Can drink now with a short carafe - there are tannins here but they are well defined and finely layered - but it will also age. Small amounts of the 2018 were released last winter, but this September sees the first proper release through the Place de Bordeaux. Ageing 18 months in small French oak barrels, 70% new, plus four months in concrete tanks afterwards. One to look out for - great stuff from the Mazzei family, that has been making wine in Tuscany since the 15th century.د.إ736.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Barbaresco Basarin, here in its second release, is terrific. It shows a slightly dark fruit profile along with notable textural richness and a feeling of creaminess that is quite appealing. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. There's real depth and substance here.د.إ1,230.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Barbaresco Basarin, here in its second release, is terrific. It shows a slightly dark fruit profile along with notable textural richness and a feeling of creaminess that is quite appealing. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. There's real depth and substance here.د.إ1,205.00 -
د.إ1,130.00 -
د.إ1,055.00
-
د.إ2,445.00 -
د.إ859.00 -
د.إ2,160.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2016 Barbaresco Serraboella is bright, perfumed and very nicely lifted, with an attractive interplay of floral aromatics and textural depth. Mint, pine, kirsch, dried flowers and sweet tobacco are some of the nuances that emerge. The 2016 is tightly wound and classically austere in style, so it needs time in bottle to unwind, but it has undoubtedly fine potential.د.إ1,030.00 -
James Suckling (95)
A vivid, solid Barbaresco with intense density of fruit and ripe tannins. It’s full-bodied with lots of plums and chocolate with some walnuts and bark. Extremely flavorful and powerful. Try after 2024.د.إ1,375.00 -
Vinous (90)
The 2018 Barbaresco Serraboella is a very pretty wine. In this vintage, the Serraboella is quite ethereal in feel. Rose petal, orange peel, spice, mint and sweet dried cherry all lift in the glass. The Serraboella is a typically light to medium-bodied wine that reflects the modest depth of the year.د.إ1,080.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2019 Barbaresco Serraboella is fresh, floral and quite delicate. Bright acids lift a core of red fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper. Nervy and quite aromatic, the 2019 is super-impressive today. I especially like the mineral drive. Give this sinewy, taut Barbaresco a few years to soften.د.إ1,030.00 -
د.إ1,300.00 -
Vinous (88)
The 2015 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin offers a bit more textural depth and resonance than the Serra Boella, but it, too, is quite marked by the personality of the year. Rose petal, hard candy, mint and crushed raspberry all develop in the glass. Grippy tannins provide a good measure of balance, but I am not sure there is enough fruit to support more than a few years of cellaring.د.إ1,205.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2017 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin is another gorgeous wine from the Pasquero family. It has more power, depth and structure than the Serraboella, with a slightly darker tonalities of fruit and more tannic heft, but the differences between the two wines are not as marked as they can be. That’s what happens sometimes in warm, dry vintages – the differences between sites are baked out. Even so, the Sorì Paitin offers quite a bit of character. I would cellar it for at least a few years.د.إ1,180.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2018 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin offers good depth and plenty of grip, but there is no way of getting around the mid-weight structure of the year. Nervy tannins wrap around a core of red berry fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and mint. I would give the Sorì Paitin a few years in bottle to soften, but imagine it will always remain a lighter wine by the estate's historical standard. It will be interesting to see where this goes. In 2018, there is no Vecchie Vigne; the best fruit was used here.د.إ432.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2018 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin offers good depth and plenty of grip, but there is no way of getting around the mid-weight structure of the year. Nervy tannins wrap around a core of red berry fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and mint. I would give the Sorì Paitin a few years in bottle to soften, but imagine it will always remain a lighter wine by the estate's historical standard. It will be interesting to see where this goes. In 2018, there is no Vecchie Vigne; the best fruit was used here.د.إ1,205.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (94)
The 2019 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin captures all the energy of this site. Tense, nervy and in need of cellaring, the 2019 is not an easy wine to taste today, but its drive and intensely mineral personality are impossible to miss. Time in the glass brings out its presence and overall stature. There's a ton to look forward to, that much is pretty clear.د.إ1,050.00 -
(1x150cl) 2016د.إ739.00 -
Vinous (90+)
Good bright medium red. Plum, redcurrant, strawberry, mint, spices, earth and dried flowers on the nose, plus a whiff of leather. Tactile and rich, displaying good medicinal reserve to the flavors of red fruits, chocolate and herbs. Shows a slight dryness with air but this is not particularly austere. With its depth of flavor and dusty tannins, this is built to age.د.إ1,675.00
