Barbaresco

I did not take any notes on this day, which I now regret, but I just wasn't quite ready for it. The wineries I visited in the Barbaresco area were Bruno Rocca, Punset, and Moccagatta.

As it turned out, the most impressive wines were from Bruno Rocca. Most wineries produce one Dolcetto, a couple of Barberas and then Nebbiolo wines. The Dolcetto is an early drinking variety, often regarded as a quaffer, but the quality improvements have been significant. I enjoyed most of them, and certainly the Bruno Rocca Dolcetto d'Alba. They represent extraordinary value for money at between 7 and 8 Euros per bottle ex winery. The Barberas are from the region d'Alba or further northeast, d'Asti. The d'Alba Barberas tend to be more elegant, the d'Asti wines more intense. The Rocca Barbera d'Alba is from Barbaresco, with complex blackberry, mulberry and cherry, as well as savoury flavours - an excellent expression of the grape variety. The Barbaresco I tried was the Bruno Rocca Coparossa Barbaresco. This wine was matured in barrique, 60% new wood. This is a full bodied wine with black cherry and tobacco flavours and an elegant finish.

Punset was a new winery to me. This co-operative focusses on organic and bio-dynamic principles. Organic farming is quite common in the region, but Punset is probably stricter about its principles than most. The wines, unfortunately, did not measure up. Both Barbera and Barbaresco had green and leafy flavours. I did not enjoy these wines, and I doubt that further cellaring would change this outcome.

Moccagatta is well known for its trio of Barbarescos, Basarin, Cole and Bric Balin. They are single vineyard wines, showing their different terroir. The Bric Balin was elegant with silky tannins, but did not rise to some of the best vintages.

The Barbaresco day was good, put paled in comparison with the Barolo tastings coming up. My preference for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages is clearly Barolo.