Produttori del Barbaresco

Why Produttori del Barbaresco is Essential

What are the main differences between Barbaresco and Barolo? Among the many, one has to say "Barolo doesn't have Produttori." 

Established in 1958 as a community of winegrowers banding together under a single label, Produttori del Barbaresco is one of the world's top co-operative wineries, and given its high bar for quality, that makes the entire Barbaresco DOCG a little different. While the little town on the Tanaro River has its fair share of superstars just as Barolo does — Gaja and Roagna, and let's not forget Bruno Giacosa in nearby Neive — it's the 54 different families spread across 250 acres of the co-operative who best embody the spirit of the place. Under its director, Aldo Vacca, the winery has gone toe-to-toe with the best Nebbiolo-focused estates in Italy, while keeping prices reasonable.

The cooperative's history actually dates back to 1894, when Domizio Cavazza — the headmaster of Alba's enology school, and a Barbaresco resident — acknowledged the potential of Barbaresco's terroir by forming the Cantina Sociali, a precursor to the modern cooperative. With nine growers from around the zone, the Cantina effectively put Barbaresco on the map by blending their various holdings from around the zone into a singular Nebbiolo wine. It was Barbaresco's first step out of the shadow of Barolo, but fascism would shutter the endeavor in the 1930s. Shortly after that, World War II would devastate the families and economies of rural Piedmont. The rebirth of the cantina in 1958 was, in many ways, the beginning of a rebirth for Barbaresco and its tiny wine industry.

Cooperative wineries are often places of uneven results. It takes total buy-in from the members on best practices in the vineyard, as well as a fastidious attention to detail from the director and winemaking team, to deliver high-quality results. It also takes a bit of politicking to keep everyone going in the same direction. But that's exactly what makes Produttori del Barbaresco so special: in a bit of irony, its Produttori del Barbaresco's consistency that makes it so special. You need only look to its annual Barbaresco wine for an understanding of the vintage; and its fleet of Riserva wines from nine different cru vineyards is easily the best field guide to terroir studies in Barbaresco. What could be more essential than that?

Wines to Seek Out

Produttori del Barbaresco makes only Nebbiolo wines. Each year, the grapes go into a widely available Langhe Nebbiolo as well as the hallmark classic blend of plots, the Barbaresco. It used to be said that Produtorri del Barbaresco would release a Riserva "in only the best vintages." However, climate change in the area has meant that optimal ripening of the grapes is rarely a problem. It's more accurate now to say that in poor vintages, Produtorri del Barbaresco puts all of its energy in the multiple-vineyard blend by suspending the Riserva for the year. Riserva wines require an extra year of aging by law. Writing this now in winter 2022, the last 10 years of releases has only seen them skip the 2012 and 2010 vintages.

Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo

Produttori del Barbaresco's Langhe Nebbiolo spends a mere five months in oak, and perfectly offers the ready-to-go, cherry-like fruit and earthy dimension that is the hallmark of the variety. Widely available, it is an easy gateway into the world of the Langhe and its iconic wines.

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco

Want a sense for any vintage in Barbaresco's long history? Start with a bottle of this wine, the classic blend from throughout the zone, which each year reads like a carefully calibrated vintage report on the conditions. A recent tasting of the 2017 confirmed for me the winery's mastery, as it was a year that pushed high alcohol levels to extremes in some wines. But here, the alcohol was no more noticeable than the signature Nebbiolo aromas, the tightrope acidity or even the perfectly cotton-like tannins. File this wine under "Old Reliable."

Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Barbaresco Riserva

The commune's largest cru vineyard is Ovello, a long ridge that extends to the north toward the Tanaro River, and which has a reputation for fruitiness and fullness when compared to the other cru vineyards. The wine from this vineyard also seems to bloom earlier than others, offering a delicious and tantalizing glimpse of Barbaresco's loveliness without too much of a wait.

Produttori del Barbaresco Asili Barbaresco Riserva

Asili is a bit like Barbaresco's version of Cannubi: it is the bellwether vineyard that offers everything the zone has got. In a way, it is the opposite of Ovello: shielded from the wind and facing the south, it always yields a wine of stern character that needs ample time in bottle to come around, regardless of the producer. Produttori del Barbaresco's version is undoubtedly one of the finest. Bold yet never flat-footed from its weight, it offers tasters a dizzying complexity.