Produttori del Barbaresco

P

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
I discovered this on a restaurant wine list the other
night and it was a big hit with everyone. Since then
I have read about it and found a local source to buy
from.

Produttori del Barbaresco '21

This from Vins Rare...
This is a tremendous wine and been one of our best selling Italians two years running. It hits well above its price point. If you haven’t yet added it to your cellar, now’s the perfect time.

Sourced from nine of the Langhe’s most celebrated crus—Rabajà, Asili, Ovello, and more—it’s the definition of pedigree in a bottle. Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate called it “epic” and a “classic expression of Nebbiolo,” awarding 95+ points and naming it “a vintage for collectors.” That’s not hype! At under $40, there’s simply nothing in the category that competes.
The warming climate has been a gift to Barbaresco, delivering full maturity and a softer edge without losing the grape’s signature tension. Produttori’s traditional approach ensures the wine is transparent, focused, and layered with red fruit, florals, spice, and that unmistakable Nebbiolo backbone.
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NFI

. . . . . Pete
 
“The warming climate has been a gift to Barbaresco, . . . “
It’s 15% abv on the label (which isn’t always accurate).
Some gift.
 
Jim, yes, I noticed that also, but I could not find a hint of the alcohol being anything other than integrated or subdued. As you suggest, the actual alcohol level can vary as much as 1.5% (I believe) above or below the displayed number.

In any event the wine was sublime on this (granted, happy!) occasion.

. . . . . Pete
 
Pete,
The level can vary more than 1.5 either way now and no one is really checking because the old tax laws have changed.

And while I understand that the wine may not show as hot I feel that high alcohol levels are far more insidious; altering the perception of weight/body/texture, skewing balance in any number of ways, pushing fruit flavors and aromas into less precise/muddy directions, lessening complexity, altering the aging curve and often requiring a rethink for wine and food pairing. Wine chemistry can be altered significantly by alcohol. In my experience, high alcohols, even if not noticeably hot, give a kind of unnatural or artificial tasting experience.

I’m glad you enjoyed this wine; perhaps it’s the exception. I’m sure their are others.

But when I see a label at 15%, it’s a hard pass for me.
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Pete,
The level can vary more than 1.5 either way now and no one is really checking because the old tax laws have changed.

And while I understand that the wine may not show as hot I feel that high alcohol levels are far more insidious; altering the perception of weight/body/texture, skewing balance in any number of ways, pushing fruit flavors and aromas into less precise/muddy directions, lessening complexity, altering the aging curve and often requiring a rethink for wine and food pairing. Wine chemistry can be altered significantly by alcohol. In my experience, high alcohols, even if not noticeably hot, give a kind of unnatural or artificial tasting experience.

I’m glad you enjoyed this wine; perhaps it’s the exception. I’m sure their are others.

But when I see a label at 15%, it’s a hard pass for me.
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x2
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
“The warming climate has been a gift to Barbaresco, . . . “
It’s 15% abv on the label (which isn’t always accurate).
Some gift.
Click to expand...

Anything but. Which is why some of us have drifted over to the nebbioli of Alto Piemonte.
 
Climate change probably hasn't done any favors for the warmer, south-facing MGAs like Rabaja, but I've been liking wines from cooler, higher-elevation microclimates like Treiso. They still retain a nervy, citrus-spiked profile while probably getting more consistent ripeness.

But, yeah, Alto Piemonte is probably where people should be focusing more of their attention (Conterno certainly has).
 
originally posted by Yule Kim:
Climate change probably hasn't done any favors for the warmer, south-facing MGAs like Rabaja, but I've been liking wines from cooler, higher-elevation microclimates like Treiso. They still retain a nervy, citrus-spiked profile while probably getting more consistent ripeness.

But, yeah, Alto Piemonte is probably where people should be focusing more of their attention (Conterno certainly has).
Click to expand...

A recent Sandro Fay, Tei, 2024 was really delicious and clocked in at 12.5%.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
I've had the '21 Produttori, without seeing the label, and I wouldn't have clocked it above 13.5-14%. It's pretty good.
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Jayson,

I can imagine.

But unless someone blind tastes me on it, I’ll not know.
And that was my point.
 
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