Which are the best Barbarescos? A list with photos, description and tasting of the 20 best Barbarescos value for money and the best most iconic Barbarescos. The history of Barbaresco, the disciplinary, the Barbaresco crus and the Barbaresco vintages. Discover the best most famous Barbarescos to the lesser known ones of the best wineries and best producers of Barbaresco.
Discover the articles on the wineries that produce Barbaresco, the best vintages of Barbaresco and the article dedicated to Nebbiolo. You may also be interested in articles dedicated to the best Amarone della Valpolicella, the best Brunello di Montalcino and the best Chianti Classico.
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INDEX:
- History of Barbaresco
- Disciplinary of Barbaresco
- Barbaresco terroirs and crus
- Best Vintages of Barbaresco
- Best Barbaresco
- Barbaresco food pairings
History of Barbaresco
What is the history of Barbaresco? Barbaresco is one of the most important red wines in Italy: it was in fact recognized DOC in 1966 and later DOCG in 2011.
The cultivation of Nebbiolo in this area has very ancient origins: it is claimed that the Gauls were the first to be attracted to the Barbaritium wine; While others trace the name of Barbaresco back to the people of the Barbarians, who caused the fall of the Roman Empire.
The date that is recognized as the birth of the modern Barbaresco dates back to 1894, when the Cantina Sociale di Barbaresco was founded.
In the municipality of Neive, the oenologist Louis Oudart equipped the cellar and used Nebbiolo to produce a dry, elegant wine with good aging potential, inspired by the great French red wines of Bordeaux. With the same techniques used by Oudart for ‘Neive’, the first Barbaresco wine was produced thirty years later in the castle of Barbaresco.
At the end of the 1950s, Barbaresco acquired great success thanks above all to a new generation of young producers, including Bruno Giacosa and the ‘Giove Tonante of Italian Enology’ Angelo Gaja. Also of great importance is the experience of Don Fiorino Marengo together with Celestino Vacca, Ugo Maffei and the winemaker Riccardo Cravanzola, who together founded the historic cooperative cellar Produttori del Barbaresco.
This important cooperative was crucial in the development of Barbaresco. In fact, after the Second World War it allowed numerous winegrowers to unite by amortizing the fixed costs of wine production, obtaining fine wines with a good quality / price ratio, thus favoring the recovery of the agricultural tradition of the Langhe by the new generations.
Production rules of Barbaresco
The Barbaresco DOCG must be produced exclusively with 100% Nebbiolo grapes, in an area of about 760 hectares of vineyards in the Piedmontese Langhe, to be exact in the municipalities of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and San Rocco, in the province of Cuneo.
The disciplinary provides that Barbaresco can only be produced with 100% Nebbiolo grapes and can enter the market following a minimum aging of 2 years starting from the January following the harvest, of which at least 9 months in oak or chestnut barrels. After a 4-year refinement, the Barbaresco wines can acquire the mention ‘Riserva’.
Barbaresco terroirs and crus
The soils of the Babaresco area are mainly of marine formation, composed of clayey-calcareous sedimentary marls, particularly fertile and rich in organic matter and microelements essential for the production of high quality grapes. There are two types of land in the Barbaresco production area. The soils of Treiso, San Rocco Seno d’Elvio and most of Neive (Formazioni di Lequio) are less compact and give rise to more elegant and slender wines. The soils of Barbaresco and the adjacent hamlet of Neive (Marne di Sant’Agata Fossili) are instead more compact and give life to more complex wines with a greater polyphenolic content.
Barbaresco is the first Italian wine to have the official Additional Geographical Mentions (2007).
The climate of the Barbaresco production area tends to be more homogeneous and milder than the entire Langhe area. However, the presence of different microclimates and geological variability within the various parcels should not be underestimated, which added to the various agronomic and cellar practices allow the grapes to be expressed in various expressions depending on the area. This explains the presence of 69 different Barbaresco crus, divided into the municipalities of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and the hamlet of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio in Alba.
What are the best Babaresco crus? Among the crus of Barbaresco we can mention some important ones such as Asili, Gallina, Montestefano, Rabajà, Rio sordo, Pora and Pajè. But the Barbaresco crus are truly innumerable and each boasts productions of undisputed quality and identity.
Classification of the Best Vintages Barbaresco
Which Barbaresco to choose? It is not enough to know which are the best wineries that produce Barbaresco if you are not aware of the best vintages.
Discover the ranking of the best Barbaresco vintages from 1970 to today with the evaluation expressed in stars. The classification ranges from the maximum excellence of five stars, for the best vintages of Barbaresco, to a minimum of one star.
To learn more, you can consult the article dedicated to the best vintages of Barbaresco, complete with a detailed description of the climatic trend.
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Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2015 – Gaja
Description: The nose is lysergic, characterized by fruity shades of black cherry and plums, embellished with notes of tea, licorice and orange peel and peaty nuances. On the palate it is voluminous and enveloping, with a sculptural polyphenolic set that supports the palate and stretches towards a finish of extraordinary character and persistence.
A true legend of Italian enology that saw its first label born in 1967. One of the best Italian red wines for expressiveness and vigor on the palate.
Indicative price: 500 €
Pajè Barbaresco Vecchie Viti 2013 – Roagna
Description: The olfactory picture is enveloped by a broad and detailed olfactory bouquet: it seduces with tones of dried violet, ripe dark fruit in jam, plum and empyheumatic and goudron nuances. The mouth is full and overwhelming with great extract, characterized by a very long finish with balsamic echoes. Fermentation takes place exclusively in wooden vats thanks to a pied de cuve of indigenous yeasts.
An iconic interpretation of Barbaresco produced from vines that are between 50 and 60 years old: a stubborn and resolute wine, a synthesis of territoriality, craftsmanship and evolution. Fully among the best Italian red wines for the overwhelming and inexorable persistence on the palate.
Approximate price: 250 €
Barbaresco ‘Asili’ 2017 – Bruno Giacosa
Description: It has a fascinating and layered aromatic baggage, with notes of rosehip jam, raspberry jam and sour cherries in alcohol that turn towards sensations of anise and rhubarb. On the palate it is intense, enveloping, with tannins of a velvety grain and a perfectly integrated savory-granular freshness. Closing of impeccable harmony on balsamic tones.
Bruno Giacosa is confirmed once again as a point of reference for the production of Barbaresco. Asili 2017 is an unforgettable label, a perfect synthesis of opulence and freshness, fruit and balsamic.
Approximate price: 170 €
Barbaresco ‘Starderi’ 2017 – La Spinetta
Description: Stratified nuances of violets, blackberries, raspberries in jam and licorice root blend with hints of humus and green tea. The sip is dense and enveloping, with silky tannins and a pleasant acid blade that culminates in a long and juicy finish. Excellent retro-olfactory persistence.
‘Starderi’ de La Spinetta is one of the most lysergic interpretations of Barbaresco. A multifaceted and complex wine, fully qualified among the best Barbarescos.
Indicative price: 100 €
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Camp Gros’ 2015 – Marchesi di Gresy
Description: Visually presents an intense garnet red color, seducing to the nose with ripe woody nuances, plum allusions echoed by well-integrated woody notes, cocoa and camphor. Compact and ripe tannins and very addictive acidity of backbone.
A barbaresco with eloquent aromas and velvety enveloping on the palate with a sensational persistence and extraordinary aging potential. Undoubtedly among the most sumptuous barbaresco, fully entitled among the best,
Approximate price: 108 €
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Asili’ 2016 – Produttori del Barbaresco
Description: Pouporri of dried flowers, cherries in alcohol together with spicy, goudron and roasting stamps. Very long finish in which floral-fruity sensations re-emerge.
A Barbaresco of great structure and finesse, with an eloquent nose and pronounced freshness that gives great drinkability and balance. Among the best producers of Barbaresco for maximizing the varietal character of Nebbiolo.
Target price: 60
Barbaresco 2017 – Pio Cesare
Description: Layered shades of cherries, wild strawberries, dehydrated plums and potpourri of dried flowers stretch towards menthol and balsamic stamps embellished with shades of china and tar. The sip is clear and enveloping, characterized by a velvety tannic texture and well integrated with a very long acid vein.
One of the most important interpretations of Barbaresco, classic and ineffable. Pio Cesare once again confirms himself as an icon of Italian oenology, seducing with unusual refinement, synthesis of pulp and balsamicity. Fully among the best Barbaresco.
Indicative price: 55 €
Barbaresco ‘Asili’ 2017 – Michele Chiarlo
Description: It opens to the intense nose on notes of ripe plum, sultanas and cherries followed by hints of black tea, anise and tobacco. It envelops the mouth with opulent and velvety tannins, which stretch towards a pleasantly sapid, long-lasting trail.
A wine of great extract and finesse, with a peacock tail nose and sculptural and harmonious tannins. Without doubt among the best wineries and among the best Barbaresco. To be rediscovered in aging.
Approximate price: 52 €
Barbaresco “Montestefano” 2016 – Serafino Rivella
Description: Bee on notes of blackberry jam, cherries in alcohol and potpourri of roses to continue towards intriguing rounds of sweet tobacco and licorice root. On the palate it has soft and velvety tannins that enter into synergy with a vigorous savory line. Balsamic finish of pleasant persistence.
Serafino Rivella once again gives us a timeless label, an impeccable expression of Nebbiolo. Montestefano is to be counted among the best Barbarescos for the synthesis between opulence and elegance.
Approximate price: 70 €
Barbaresco ‘Angelo’ 2017 – Albino Rocca
Description: Raspberries, wild strawberries and blueberries in jam are the overture to notes of black pepper, rhubarb, cinchona and toasted timbres. The sip is material, silky and very soft tannins envelop the mouth towards a savory closure with continuous fruity references.
An iconic and unique label, exciting and highly recognizable. ‘Angelo’ by Albinio Rocca is to be counted among the best Barbarescos for lysergic aromas and a soft and enveloping sip.
Approximate price: 80 €
Barbaresco Masseria 2017 – Vietti
Description: It opens on brushstrokes of wild strawberries in jam, blackberries and juniper enriched with toasted notes of bitter almonds and mentholated nuances. On the palate it is broad and intense, with perfectly dotted compact tannins and a very pleasant salty trail on the finish that leaves the mouth fresh and satisfied.
A complex and highly refined interpretation of Barbaresco, which skilfully combines tannic vigor, flavor and fragrance. Masseria 2017 is an icon of Piedmont, deservedly among the best Barbarescos for uniqueness and precision.
Approximate price: 70 €
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Rabajà’ 2013 – Valter Bera
Description: Small ripe wild berries embellished with spicy, roasted notes and coffee powder. An engaging and exciting interpretation of Barbaresco, which skilfully combines freshness and strength.
Fully among the best Barbarescos for balance and clarity of the varietal character of Nebbiolo.
Approximate price: 41 €
Barbaresco DOCG 2017 – Castello di Neive
Description: The nose is refined and complex, outlining intense hints of wild berries in alcohol, allusions of plum, dates, sweet spices and tobacco and ethereal notes. On the palate it is enveloping with a very thick but extraordinarily silky tannic texture linked synergistically to an important acidic shoulder that gives it freshness.
A voluminous and harmonious wine with a sensational balsamic persistence. Deservedly among the best Barbarescos.
Approximate price: 33 €
Barbaresco ‘Cottà’ 2018 – Sottimano
Description: Sour cherries, plums in jam and orange peel extend towards evolutionary notes of sweet tobacco, coffee powder and mentholated sensations. It envelops the palate with soft and silky tannins, well supported by an acid blade of backbone. Good persistence on the fruit.
A classy label, with a powerful sip that does not renounce the typical elegance of the grape. Among the best Barbarescos for the seductive and deep palate.
Approximate price: 68 €
Barbaresco ‘Ovello’ 2016 – Cantina del Pino
Description: Brushstrokes of dried violets, sour cherries in alcohol and dehydrated plums blend with very pleasant menthol and humus echoes. In the mouth it is material and enveloping, supported by a sculptural tannic texture and a long and deep acid vein. Excellent persistence finish.
A label of great extract and finesse, with a generous and opulent sip. The Barbaresco Ovello by Cantina del Pino is to be counted among the best Barbarescos for authenticity and territorial character. Impeccable quality-price ratio.
Indicative price: 50 €
Barbaresco Gallina 2016 – Oddero
Description: A riot of ripe red pulp fruits mixes with hints of dried flowers, wild nipitella and licorice root. On the palate it has a silky and enveloping tank texture, with a savory finish of good persistence in which the fruit is the protagonist.
A Barbaresco with a classic, slender and fragrant expressiveness. Deservedly among the best Barbarescos for complexity and eloquence.
Approximate price: 48 €
Sori Barbaresco 2017 – Montaribaldi
Description: It pursues us captivatingly among small red berries, carobs, tar and humus. On the palate it is rich, juicy and enveloping, a finish of good persistence with the fruit as protagonist.
A whimsical and voluminous interpretation of Barbaresco, which skilfully combines freshness, tannic vigor and highly expressive aromas. Certainly one of the best Barbarescos for value for money.
Indicative price: 30 €
Barbaresco 2018 – Sordo Giovanni
Description: Galvanizes the nose with a kaleidoscope of scents ranging from intense hints of ripe berries, plum allusions embellished with humus, camphor and pine resin. On the palate it has a very thick and silky tannic texture which is counterbalanced by an important acid shoulder that gives it freshness and drinkability. Voluminous and harmonious finish, of extraordinary persistence.
A wine with an enthralling and expansive sip. An imaginative and exciting wine, fully qualified among the best Barbarescos for finesse. Very interesting value for money.
Approximate price: 26 €
Barbaresco DOCG “Bric Turot” 2017 – Prunotto
Description: It is articulated olfactively on tones of ripe cherry, blackberry, mulberry and raspberries followed by suggestions of sweet spices, wild mint and toasted notes. On the palate it is vigorous, with compact tannins that evolve in progression towards a finish of excellent structure and persistence.
Intoxicating and long-limbed, among the best Barbarescos for the inexhaustible persistence in which the varietal character of Nebbiolo echoes the protagonist. Excellent value for money.
Approximate price: € 35
Barbaresco DOCG 2016 – Collina Serragrilli
Description: Titillates the nose with incisive notes of dried roses and cherries in alcohol, followed by nuances of candied orange peel embellished with tones of cocoa powder and well-integrated wood tones. Galvanizes the palate with a thick but smooth tannin synergistically linked to a strong acidity that favors drinking. Very persistent finish in which the varietal of Nebbiolo is the protagonist.
Lysergic character, the sense of smell is a delicate prelude that spreads sensationally opulent to the sip. Fully among the best Barbarescos.
Approximate price: € 35
Bric’ Micca 2016 Barbaresco DOCG – Dante Rivetti
Characteristics: Interesting and incisive the aromatic spectrum, in evidence ripe dark berries with suggestions of dried figs, roasting, dark chocolate, cardamom and pine resin. The sip is enveloping with a vigorous polyphenolic outfit and a balsamic finish of great precision and length.
One of the most iconic wineries of the Langhe. An austere, dark and sumptuous interpretation of Barbaresco with sensational persistence. Deservedly among the best Barbarescos for value for money.
Indicative price: 25 €
Barbaresco Roncaglie 2016 – Poderi Colla
Description: It has an intense ruby red color, the nose opens wide and complex ranging from intense hints of ripe berries, allusions of plum embellished with alpine flora, sweet spices and tobacco. On the palate it is enveloping with a very thick but velvety tannic texture assisted by an important acid shoulder that gives great freshness and drinkability.
Without a doubt one of the best Barbarescos for elegance and eloquence of perfumes. Voluminous and harmonious finish with a balsamic note, of great persistence. Excellent aging potential. Deservedly among the best wineries in Barbaresco.
Approximate price: € 35
Barbaresco DOCG Roncaglie 2016 – Socrè
Description: Smell initially played on notes of plum, violet and sour cherries embellished with more enigmatic hints of wild catmint, resin and toasted timbres. On the palate it is characterized by well-dashed and compact tannins, backed by a very pleasant savory vein that gives smoothness and depth to the sip.
An iconic and intoxicating wine, one of the best expressions of Nebbiolo for its olfactory complexity and material and penetrating palate. Unexceptionable value for money. Fully among the best Barbarescos.
Indicative price: 30 €
Barbaresco 2017 – Ceretto
Description: It opens on notes of raspberries, cherry and rosehip jam, to continue towards spicy tones and sylvan sensations. The sip is supported by a well-defined tannic texture that enters into synergy with a vigorous savory line. Fresh finish with good persistence.
A slender and harmonious wine, to be counted among the best Barbarescos for its sincere and passionate essence, consistent with the territory.
Approximate price: 40 €
Barbaresco 2018 – Bruno Rocca
Description: The nose is played on delicate black pulp fruits and balsamic tones of eucalyptus and licorice that fade towards a background of vanilla and cocoa beans. In the mouth it is full and harmonious, with compact tannins that stretch towards a finish on tones of sweet spices.
A classic and balanced Barbaresco, to be counted among the best Barbarescos for the clarity of the varietal character of Nebbiolo.
Approximate price: 40 €
Barbaresco Mondino 2016 – Piero Busso
Description: It presents itself to the nose with delicate aromas of wild strawberries, raspberry jam and dehydrated plums to continue towards toasted tobacco stamps and notes of glazed dates. On the palate it is dense and well structured, supported by a nice savory trail that envelops the mouth towards a fruity finish with good persistence.
From the cellar of Piero Busso an authentic and eloquent wine is born, with excellent smoothness and presence on the palate. Deservedly among the best Barbarescos.
Approximate price: 38 €
Barbaresco ‘Vallegrande’ 2017 – Ca’ del Baio
Description: It presses on the nose on small red berries, sour cherries in syrup and mentholated and roasted nuances. On the palate it is energetic and well balanced, with a thick tannic texture supported by a nice acidic shoulder.
Classic and with a well-defined profile, Vallegrande di Ca ‘del Baio deserves to be counted among the best Barbarescos for integrity of the fruit and pleasantness on the palate.
Approximate price: 40 €
Barbaresco ‘Pajoré’ 2017 – Rizzi
Description: Bouquet articulated on potpourri of roses, wild strawberries and sour cherries alternating with delicate hints of white pepper, juniper, humus and menthol reminiscences. On the palate it is dense and energetic, with powerful but silky tannins and a nice acidic shoulder. Long and juicy finish.
Fruit and spices blend harmoniously in a vigorous and opulent sip, softened by a fresh balsamic. Deservedly among the best Barbarescos for balance and typicality.
Approximate price: 45 €
Barbaresco ‘Rabajà’ 2017 – Giuseppe Cortese
Description: Delicate and intense nose on notes of small ripe red fruits that blend with hints of rhubarb, spicy nuances and hints of flint and goudron. On the palate it is voluminous and solemn, with a well-defined tannin and a very pleasant acid line that makes the sip long and fresh.
Giuseppe Cortese delights us with a Barbaresco with a timeless charm. A label with a full and deep taste, fully entitled to be among the best Barbarescos.
Approximate price: 48 €
What is the best Barbaresco?
What is the best Barbaresco value for money? Choosing is an ar business, however, inevitably it is subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have compiled our list of virtuous quality interpretations of Barbaresco from the best wineries and best producers of Barbaresco according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that the best Barbaresco is the one that is able to excite us, also by binding itself to contingent situations and unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to discover all the wineries that produce Barbaresco in their uniqueness, so that you can independently find and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your best Barbarescos.
Food pairings – Barbaresco
Now that we have seen which are the best Barbaresco wines and the best Barbaresco producers, the question arises: what are the best food-Barbaresco combinations?
Barbaresco is an excellent combination with meat dishes structured as game, braised red meat, grilled with brown sauces, rabbit, medium-aged cheeses, sautéed kidneys, livers, Piedmontese roe deer.
Discover the best Barbaresco food pairings and the rules to follow to combine Barbaresco in the dedicated article.
