Produttori del BarbarescoBarbaresco Cru Collectors Case OWC 2020

Antonio Galloni om årgång 2020: Aldo Vacca and Luca Cravanzola presented a stellar set of wines at Produttori del Barbaresco. The 2020 Riservas offer an intriguing mix of the bold fruit of the year tempered by traditional winemaking. As usual, the Riservas saw 25-30 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel. The wines were settled in tank and then racked into French oak casks in early 2021. Bottling took place in May 2024. In tasting, I find the Riservas a bit reticent at this stage, but that should not be an issue in a few years.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the most elegant, polished wines in this range. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, mint and cedar are beautifully lifted. The tannins are remarkably polished for a young, recently bottled Riserva. I admire its poise and elegance. This is an especially refined edition of the Montestefano. In 2020, the mix of vineyards is a bit younger than in the past, as one of the blocks of older vineyards was replanted and not used. If I could have only one of the Riservas in 2020, this would be it!

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is another stellar wine in this range. Dark and explosive, the 2021 possesses notable richness to match its dark, brooding personality. Black cherry, plum, leather, cloves, menthol, licorice and gravel explode onto the palate. The 2020 will require a measure of patience, but it has a ton of potential.

A complex, beautifully layered wine, the 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico expresses so many of the attributes that make the wines from this vintage and site so intriguing. The bouquet alone is wonderfully complex. Dried herbs, mint, pine, tobacco and cedar open first, leading to a core of chiseled dark-toned fruit. A vertical, structured Barbaresco, the Montefico is superb.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of intense fruit and supporting structure. A wine of depth and complexity, Asili has a lot of everything. It is clearly a step or two above many of the wines in this range. Today, the 2020 comes across as a bit somber, but that may partly be a reflection of its recent bottling. There´s gorgeous depth and resonance in the Asili.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is a classic wine from this site. Deeply spiced and balsamic notes meld into a core of dark, sepia-toned Nebbiolo fruit. A Barbaresco of real presence and substance, the Pajè makes itself felt. It´s one of my early dark horse favorites in this range from Produttori del Barbaresco.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is a massive, packed wine. Graphite, crushed rocks, dried herbs and cedar open first. Ovello tends to produce a more linear style of Barbaresco, and that is very much the case here as well. However, the 2020 also possesses notable depth and layers in the mid-palate. It´s a gorgeous wine in the making.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota comes across as somewhat austere today, which is pretty atypical. Floral, mint and white pepper lend notable aromatic brilliance. Deceptively medium in body, the 2020 offers plenty of drive. Floral, savory and mineral notes extend the intense, saline finish. I am curious to taste this again with more time in bottle.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is pretty closed today, which is probably a very good sign for its aging prospects, as this site tends to produce wines that are more open than this. Dark cherry, plum, leather, incense and tobacco offer a decidedly somber expression of Rio Sordo. The 2020 clearly needs time.

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is aromatic, effusive and quite charming. Crushed flowers, spice, leather, tobacco and cedar lend notable inner sweetness. Medium in body and gracious, the Pora is pretty approachable today, although it will be better with a few years in bottle. This is a very beautiful, vivid Pora and a fine introduction to the Riservas.