First-Taste Guide to Barbaresco

5 min read

When setting the table for an Italian wine beginner, are we obligated to describe Barbaresco only as it compares to Barolo? Of course not, but I’ve been pondering this question while writing this beginners guide to the esteemed piemontesi village that is often deemed a second fiddle. Despite my decades-old love for Barbaresco, as well as my numerous visits, writing this piece was actually pretty difficult. I’ve come to realize that Barbaresco is simultaneously understood yet misunderstood, and over-appreciated yet somehow under-appreciated, too. This stems directly from its relationship to that bigger sibling to the southwest.

When setting the table for an Italian wine beginner, are we obligated to describe Barbaresco only as it compares to Barolo?

What if we rewrote the script? Imagine for a moment, a nascent wine lover who has never tasted Nebbiolo, and by extension, never encountered Barolo. What if their first glass of Nebbiolo was a Barbaresco? What would we say? And more importantly, what would they feel? It is amazing how many tropes would be thrown out the window (chiefly, all that unhelpful “masculine/feminine” nonsense).

I don’t exactly remember if my first taste of Nebbiolo was Barbaresco, but I distinctly remember my first taste of Barbaresco. It was a bolt-of-lightning moment: “I need to more pay attention to this kind of wine, because I am really loving this.”  Here was a wine that spoke to the complexity of nature, charging ahead with a fearlessness that pulled me in. Flowers, berries, tilled earth … It wanted to offer everything, and I wanted to receive it. I remember thinking that I was entering a new realm with wine.

That’s the power of Barbaresco.

So it is in the spirit of that moment that I’ve compiled this beginner’s guide to one of Italy’s true originals. And to aid me, I have two of Barbaresco’s top winemakers lending their insights: Marina Marcarino of Punset, and Riccardo Sobrino of Cascina delle Rose. Leave the tasting wheel and clichés aside: we won’t need ’em.

3 Reasons to Try Barbaresco

1. The Purity of Nebbiolo’s Aromas – When Barbaresco is at its peak, it is easily among the most beautiful wines in the world aromatically: open, gracious, harmonic and filigreed with flowers, earth and compelling fruit.
2. One of Italy’s Most Talented Appellations – If Barbaresco was fielding an intramural softball team, they’d be a scary matchup. Led by such luminaries as Gaja, Bruno Giacosa and Roagna, punctuated by dozens of gifted family estates (including the two featured in this guide), and led by the world’s best cooperative winery which sets the benchmark, the Barbaresco DOCG is loaded with talent. Few DOCGs in Italy can match its consistency of quality.
3. You’ll Want to Go There – Barbaresco is beautiful. Think rolling hills covered in vines, inviting roads winding off into the distance, and the charming hamlets of tower-crowned Barbaresco (above) and hilltop Neive (below) … A visit to the area demands a few nights in the Barbaresco DOCG just as much as the Barolo DOCG.

What is Barbaresco?

The Barbaresco DOCG is a protected designation of origin for varietal Nebbiolo wines made in a zone surrounding the Piedmont villages of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. To earn this DOCG fascetta, the wine must not only come from this designation zone, it must be aged for a total of 26 months with a minimum of 9 months in wood. Producers are welcome to go longer on these fronts if they feel it is necessary. A separate Riserva designation demands 50 months total. The alcohol content must be a minimum of 12.5% (which is never a problem to achieve these days) and it must pass a tasting panel for typicity to earn approval.

The DOCG covers dry red wines only, which are among the most celebrated in the world. There are 66 MGA within Barbaresco, which offer more specific interpretations of terroir via single-vineyard wines.

About the Appellation and Its Wines

Barbaresco lies within the Italian region of Piedmont, whose name literally means “at the foot of the mountains.” On a clear day from the top of Barbaresco’s tower, you can enjoy a 180-degree view of the Alps.  These mountains are not only breathtaking, they are influential, creating a rain shadow which minimizes moisture, while blocking the colder climate of Northern Europe. Meanwhile, to the south and largely out of sight, lie the Ligurian Apennines, sealing the region off from most of the Mediterranean Sea’s climatic influences. Piedmont’s unique climate is something Nebbiolo has adapted beautifully too, particularly in Barbaresco.

But what makes Barbaresco unique within Piedmont is its proximity to a river. The namesake village of this wine-growing area resides on a ridge overlooking the lazy Tanaro just northeast of the city of Alba. The Tanaro moderates the climate of Barbaresco by adding a tinge of humidity to the air. This creates a warmer microclimate, moderates temperature swings, and creates more fog during the later stages of ripening. The closer the vineyard is to the Tanaro, the more pronounced the effect, and this leads to a shortened ripening cycle and generally more soft, delicate wines.

From Barbaresco, bulky hills stretch away from the river to the south, east and northeast, and they are almost entirely covered in vines. But even then, the zone is limited and focused.

“We have only 536 hectares [in the DOCG],” winemaker Marina Marcarino of the organic estate Punset told me. “So the maximum potential is only 5 million bottles. And that is a good thing. We don’t want to grow in size because to grow that would change something in our character. We will never be able to become a mass product.”

The History

Barbaresco’s history of wine growing dates back to the 18th century. Until the late 19th century, the village’s grapes often went toward making bottles of Barolo wine. The appellation began to stand on its own two feet as a separate entity in 1894 when Domizio Cavazza established a cooperative. Cavazza was the director of Alba’s enology school, and he understood the power of place. To him, Barbaresco had its own identity, and he began to label the wines with the village’s name.

But successive World Wars pressed pause on Barbaresco’s development. It stayed in the shadow of Barolo for many decades. According to Marcarino, two instrumental forces in the second half of the 20th century raised Barbaresco to its proper place: Angelo Gaja of the winery Gaja and the successor to Cavazza’s original cooperative, Produttori del Barbaresco.

“I always thank Angelo Gaja for what we did,” Marcarino said. “To me, Angelo is the person who made everything change in our region. He has been our flag, and he still is our flag. And it is because he took his suitcase and moved throughout the world with a bottle of Barbaresco, communicating something to the world that we are still taking advantage of.”

Gaja was unafraid to challenge tradition. He espoused single-vineyard sites for their quality, but only when those vineyards were meticulously managed and cared for. He planted international grapes (often, a 20th century prerequisite to be invited into the global wine discussions), and he utilized modern winemaking techniques that allowed Nebbiolo to shine for modern palates. Yes, his tactics stirred controversy, and his family has since brought back some traditional techniques and embraced native grapes whole-heartedly. But it was Gaja who undoubtedly put Barbaresco on the fine wine map.

“Produttori carried the flag in a different way,” Marcarino made clear. “It is a cooperative and in the end, it was created by the state to support the growers. But it changed the economy for many, many winegrowers. At the same time, Produttori del Barbaresco had this brilliant idea of paying for quality. The better you work, the better you are paid. There has always been a good connection between Angelo Gaja and Produttori in terms of vision for the land. They were the ones that we must respect.”

Factors of Difference: Soil, Microclimate & Vintage

But the true meaning of Barbaresco is its terroir transparency, something every wine region touts, but few truly possess.

When grown on an average vineyard plot with ample sun and water, the Nebbiolo grape can yield a wine of cherry/raspberry-like fruit, gentle rose-like aromas and subtle earthiness. But when grown on a steeper slope with calcareous marl — the dominate soil type of the Langhe Hills — the grape goes into overdrive, offering a clearer picture of its personality, energy and tenacity, while maintaining an energy and structure that allows for decades-long aging. These slopes also allow Nebbiolo to more freely expresses the specifics of site and the quirks of each vintage. This is always a point of difference between Barbaresco wines (and those of Barolo) and the wines designed Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d’Alba.

The calcareous marl of Barbaresco not only fosters the right nutrient and mineral balance for the roots of Nebbiolo; it also retains water in a special way. This is wonderfully apparent in the cellar of Cascina delle Rose, which I wrote about in my new book.

When their barrel room was constructed, they left the sturdy, striated soil largely exposed. The layer cake of calcareous marl, clay and mineral-rich bands is interrupted at intervals by concrete columns that have been stained by the leaching of minerals. The trickling of dripping water animates the atmosphere often, as I found out when I visited. It had rained 48 hours before my visit, and the water was still working its way through the ancient seabed, visible along the entire length of the room.

But beyond soil, Cascina delle Rose’s winemaker — Riccardo Sobrino — told me that beginners should orient themselves based on the river. For one, there is more limestone in the soil closer to the Tanaro River, which seems to result in a more direct sense of finesse in the wines. (The village of Barbaresco lies closest to the Tanaro). But secondly, the river’s influence on microclimates is substantial, especially in wetter vintages when the river has more flow. Wines from vineyards set back from the river — such as those in the villages of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, Neive and especially Treiso — tend to have bolder expressions.

Marina Marcarino agrees that approaching the region by village can be helpful. “Treiso — especially the side with Nervo, Rizzi [MGAs] — always gives more rustic and bodied Barbaresco,” she said. “It tends to be more explosive and less elegant because it is the warmest [village].” San Rocco Seno d’Elvio’s wines, she added, are more approachable and softer, while those from Barbaresco and Neive have “a more fruity and floral character.”

“The classic expression are the wines from Barbaresco [the village],” she said.

But, she added, these distinctions can become blurry depending on vintage conditions. Extremely hot years can level-out the differences, which can place greater demands on winemakers to get the best performance from their vineyards, and to achieve the right amount of finesse in the cellar.

The Winemaking

As for winemaking, Barbaresco’s disciplinare gives producers the ability to release their wine sooner than many of their peers. Of the major Nebbiolo-based appellations, only Valtellina Superiore has shorter minimum aging standards (24 months compared to Barbaresco’s 26 months). That said, Riserva wines are mandated to 50 months of aging before release, which trails only Barolo in terms of these appellations’ Riserva categories.

What is not mandated is maceration time or the size of the wood vessel that must be used for a minimum of nine months. Traditionally, maceration times were multiple days, even weeks, and the vessels of choice were large oak barrels known as a botte, which could hold anywhere from 10 to 50hL of wine. In the late 20th century, “modernists” preferred shorter maceration times in French oak barriques (225 L). While the old divide between traditional and modern has waned substantially, producers still debate the best way to extract Nebbiolo’s goodness to achieve a true Barbaresco, as well as the proper size oak vessel. Climate change has prompted a more nuanced approach, meaning some years require less maceration and exposure to oak than others.

What remains constant is a desire to express the singularity of this unique region. “Personally, if you try to make a Barbaresco in a Barolo style, you land into a vulgar situation,” Marcarino told me. “Barbaresco is a more delicate wine. If you force the extraction too much, you will get power but not the right structure. It won’t represent the true Barbaresco.”

Still, Marcarino believes that the nine months is too little in her opinion. The Barbaresco wines at Punset are entirely categorized as Riserva. She says this decision stemmed from a desire to only release the wine when it is ready to drink.

Your First Taste

So what should a “true Barbaresco” taste like? Let’s start with the fundamentals of its only grape, Nebbiolo. On the nose, Nebbiolo’s primary tones often reveal similarities to dark cherries, raspberries, and roses, while tertiary characteristics are often likened to anise seed/black licorice, cinnamon, resin, truffles and/or potting soil. In fact, there is good reason for this: Nebbiolo naturally produces ethyl-cinnamate, citronellol and geranic acid — molecules and terpenes found in cinnamon sticks and roses.

“These wines are not ‘everyday’ wines. They must be matched always with food. And there also has to be conviviality. It has to be part of an event in the family or with friends.”

Riccardo Sobrino
Winemaker, Cascina delle Rose

Nebbiolo is highly acidic, and offers a high degree of tannin, which can lend its wines a high degree of astringency in youth.

Barbaresco is one of the few places where all of these intriguing elements can be encountered in a single glass. Generally speaking, the aromas tend to skew more towards floral traits, with ample but elegant tannins.

“In the mouth, it is a wine of profound, deep characteristics,” said Riccardo Sobrino of Cascina della Rose. “Barbaresco can be tannic, can be harsh. But if it’s elegant and there is freshness and acidity, then it is a true Barbaresco and can be paired with the right food.” Sobrino notes that context is vitally important to Barbaresco’s performance: “These wines are not ‘everyday’ wines. They must be matched always with food. And there also has to be conviviality. It has to be part of an event in the family or with friends.”

How long should you wait to open a Barbaresco after its release? Most will be more harmonic in five to 10 years, but it is not always essential.

Below are three tremendous examples of Barbaresco that should give you a wonderful sense for this region’s wines, and their potential, without waiting several years to cellar them. I’ve selected an entry-level, a single-vineyard MGA cru wine, and a Riserva. Despite being from three different vintages, each of these wines are the current release as of September 2025.

2022 Morra Gabriele Barbaresco

From my Tasting Report on Barbaresco’s New Releases (published February 2025):

     

What struck me about this wine (★★★★★) from long-time friends Gabriele Testa and Stefano Campaniello is the old-school nature of it. This is a vision of Barbaresco you only hear about from the past: restrained and measured, so floral and pretty. The age of climate change may have added more power and fewer green notes to Barbaresco, but experiencing this delicacy this early in a wine’s life cycle is very rare. Despite that, there was plenty of fleshiness to this wine — as well as perfectly measured amounts of acidity and tannin, too — to lend it structure and poise. This is exceptionally skillful winemaking, with enough allowance for some natural surprises, like a trace of honeycomb on the nose, and minerality on the finish.

2021 Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Tre Stelle

From my Essential Winemakers of Italy profile on Cascina delle Rose (published February 2025):

         

There is something very Burgundian about the easy grace and subtlety of Cascina delle Rose’s wines. There are three Barbaresco, all from single-vineyards: a new endeavor in the Neive sector from the Marcorino MGA, and wines each from the MGAs bordering the winery: Rio Sordo and Tre Stelle. In terms of production, Tre Stelle (★★★★★) is the Barbaresco you’ll have the easiest time finding, but even then, 8,000 bottles is not a lot. The vineyard resides in the Barbaresco sector of the appellation, and pitches steeply to the northwest with its most prime aspect angling southwest. What you’ll find in this wine is a happy middle ground between the lifted quality of Neive and Treiso’s sternness, all while showcasing Barbaresco’s quintessential aromas.

2020 Punset Barbaresco Basarin Riserva

From my Tasting Report on Barbaresco’s New Releases (published February 2025):

     

Punset only releases its Barbaresco as a Riserva. And why not? As a whole, Barbaresco always needs a little more time in bottle to show its best, and that is indeed what has happened with Punset’s 2020 Barbaresco from the southeast-facing Basarin cru (★★★★★). The purity of the fruit on display here made this wine standout significantly. A wine to spend the evening with, it unfolds in layers — earthy undertones, soft herbal accents, and a distinctive edge recalling the spicy-vegetal lift of wild fennel. Despite its weight and structure, which is substantial compared to its peers, the Punset Barbaresco Riserva is able to preserve a sense of elegance, too.