It is with great pleasure we
announce the arrival of the 2005 vintage wines of Produttori del
Barbaresco. This co-operative of 56
growers with holdings in some of the most highly regarded vineyards in Piedmont
makes very traditional wines that sit among the best of the region, yet are
priced so sensibly that their the output continues to be snapped up on
release. With the DOCG Barbaresco at
under $70.00 and Riserva single vineyard expressions at under $100.00 per
bottle, they are veritable bargains.
With the release of the stellar 2004s last year, we sold most of our
stocks by the time we conducted our tasting of the range in September. This situation is likely to repeat itself
this year, with the newly arrived 2005s.
The word is that while the 2005s so not have quite the structure of the
2004s, their richness of fruit will make them more hedonistic and enjoyable for
a greater proportion of their lives. Nevertheless,
they will be capable of a long life. Our
orders for the 2005 wines will come into store in two deliveries; the first
available now, the second to arrive at the start of June, with some back-up
stock of the first portion possible.
However we strongly suggest that if you are interested in any of the
wines, you should purchase them now to avoid missing out. These are the following wines currently
available, with comments and scores by Antonio Galloni, in The Wine Advocate,
Issue 185, October 2009:
Barbaresco DOCG 2005
"…is a gorgeous, generous Barbaresco
loaded with ripe dark fruit. This is an
especially harmonious, refined Barbaresco from the Produttori that is also
somewhat unusual for its dark, brooding personality. Licorice, leather and tar linger on the
powerful finish. Today the wine is
remarkable for its depth and
concentration, while the aromatic complexity will develop in bottle. If the regular Barbaresco holds this much
power, I can only wonder what the Riservas might have in store. Simply put, this is a marvelous effort. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2031.” 92 points
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Pora’ 2005
"…is wonderfully layered in its dark
cherries, spices, menthol, licorice and minerals. The medium-bodied Pora is one of the firmer
and more linear Riservas in 2005. Still,
it shows exceptional balance in a powerful style that will require a measure of
patience. Here, too, the finish is
wonderfully elegant. Anticipated
maturity: 2010-2025.” 92+ points
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Paje’ 2005
"…opens with a blast of tar, menthol
and smoke that leads to dark cherries, plums leather and licorice. This is an especially powerful, shut-down
Barbaresco at this stage, but with time in bottle the layers should fill out
quite nicely. Today it remains compact
and in need of further time in bottle.
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.”
91 points
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Moccagatta’ 2005
"…is one of the more compact, linear
wines in this vintage. The Moccagatta
offers up sensations of bright red fruits, flowers, spices and vanilla in a
rather unyielding style. The wine should
improve in bottle but the tannins will likely always remain somewhat firm. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.” 90 points
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Ovello’ 2005
"…is usually one of the more
reticent of the estate’s Riservas, but in 2005 it is especially
unyielding. Still firm and tightly
wound, the wine possesses notable detail and clarity in its fruit in a focused,
compact style. Based on previous
experience, I may very well be underestimating this wine, but only time will
tell for sure. After several hours the
Ovello opened up nicely and my impression is it will develop into a splendid
Barbaresco…with time. Anticipated
maturity: 2015-2030.” 92+ points
Barbaresco Riserva ‘Montefico’ 2005
"…is simply beautiful in the way it
combines elements of florality and structure, which makes it one of the more
complex, multi-faceted wines in 2005.
Sweet roses blossom on the palate, followed by succulent ripe
raspberries, mint and baking spices. As
the wine sits in the glass the layers continue to fill out, revealing a wine of
first-class pedigree. This is an
exceptional effort from the Produttori.
Anticipated maturity: 20105-2030.”
93 points
Taste the 2005 Produttori del Barbaresco
wines
For those who wish to taste the wines only, or
those who wish to not broach their personal stocks before full maturity, there
will be a tasting of 2005 Produttori de Barbaresco, the DOCG Barbaresco and
nine Riserva single vineyard wines with the co-operative’s general manager Aldo
Vacca, on Wednesday 23 June. For more
information, click
here