Introduction

Another fantastic event at E&R, this time with the general manager of Produttori del Barbaresco, Aldo Vacca. Just two months ago E&R tasted most of these wines with the importer/distributor, but this tasting was a sit down event and included tons of additional information which I found very interesting. The Produttori works with 50 farmers currently, but in 1958 that number was just 19. Interestingly, it was a local Priest that brought the growers together to make wine instead of selling their fruit off! During the 1950s most of the Barbaresco production was about quantity. Produttori was founded on quality wine, though. Of course recently all producers must be focused on quality to survive, but Aldo described that it never used to be this way.

The Produttori was founded on three principles:
1. Make only Barbaresco.
2. "100% Belonging". 100% of the farmers fruit needs to go to the Produttori. Obviously, if it was any other way the growers would hold back the best fruit for themselves.
3. Reward the quality of fruit in the payment. They actually measure the sugar, color, and tannin of the grape and give a score, paying accordingly.

1961 was the first year they bottled their own wine under the Produttori del Barbaresco label, and 1967 was the first year they did single vineyards, which they were a pioneer of. The current production is 45,000 cases (half a million bottles). The breakdown of that: 20% Langhe Nebbiolo (all declassified Barbaresco), 30% single vineyard Cru wines (when bottled), and 50% Barbaresco Normale, which includes some of their 9 single vineyards, but primarily other vineyards within Barbaresco (of which there are 66 named). The same winemaker is used for all the wines. These days, if any new grower is approached to join (or vice versa), all the current farmers need to approve the new.

As for production technique, all the barrels (botti) in the cellar are 25 hectoliters to 100HL, and they age 30-36 months. They did not make single vineyard wines in 2010 because the wines were deemed "too light to qualify" for single bottling. They had 3 rainy days in September that causes this, perhaps. The soil wound up staying wet the whole month.

As to these specific wines, quite clearly 2009 was too warm of a vintage for me. I found a lot of the wines both thin in texture and hefty in dark fruit, with steamy alcohol pervasive throughout. This is not a vintage I'll be buying into here. Aldo mentioned he thinks these wines will probably be drinking best about 10 years from vintage (thus, a mere 4 years away!). Which again, to me, means it's not my style of vintage. Still thankful to have the wonderful experience of Aldo's storytelling, and to get to try all the Crus together. Hope to be able to do this again in a vintage more in line with what I like here!

Flight 1 (9 notes)