Barolo and Barberesco

Last night I went to a tasting of the two finest wines of Piedmont – Barbaresco and Barolo.  Both big expensive wines.

Piedmont is surrounded by the Alps and almost every vineyard is on a slope. It’s truffle country with hazelnut trees where rice is grown too.

The main grape is Nebbiolo, which means cloudy, descriptive more of the dust on the grape but it’s true that the climate can be foggy.

Barolo is the more famous of the two communes with the highest number of the best appellation DOCG .

Barberesco is being produced at 4 million bottles annually and must remain 2 years in the barrel before being released.

Barolo produces 14m and the age limit is 3 years. It’s advisable to keep it a couple of years once bought.

To buy a decent Barolo would be at least £35 and be careful as upmarket supermarkets slip in an immature one in the hope that the purchaser will read the title, not the year.

In many ways Barolo and Barberesco are similar to Burgundy with small estates family run.

It is said they who cultivate the vine makes the wine.

Yet they are both know regally as the King and Queen of Italian wines.

The region also produces Gavi, Moscato d’Asti and the underrated Dolceto.

Italian  wine has attracted investors as the output is less than Bordeaux. That might be why production has intensified.

As powerful wines, both are best with game, cheese and  pasta with a meaty ragu.

Some may find the price, high tannin and 14% alcohol content too intense.

Personally I love it; the best we tasted was the Barolo 2010 Albe G.D. Varja which by Barolo standards was not too pricey at £32.

The 2005/6 were the best vintages, 2011/12 affected by the rain.

Buy some, put it in your cellar,  then  forget about it till Xmas 2023 .