Sottimano
Readers who haven't tasted the Sottimano wines in a few years will want to check out these superb, pedigreed Barbarescos, as quite a bit has changed here, particularly over the last 5-6 years. Today, the approach to farming is decidedly less interventionalist than in the past. Sottimano no longer uses pesticides and herbicides. Yields aren't quite as dramatically low as they once were. The same hands off approach carries through to winemaking. Cool temperatures encourage slow and long malolactic fermentations, a long aging on the lees with minimal rackings, an approach that is much more typical in Burgundy than it is in Piedmont. Today's wines are transparent, crystalline and full of personality. There is no question quality has never been higher. ANTONIO GALLONI
Sottimano farms 16 hectares in a non-interventionist manner (no pesticides or herbicides) across five distinctly different sub-climats; Basarin, Curru, Cotta, Pajore and Fausoni. Each plots sports different soil types, elevations, vine age and aspect which creates a stable of Barbaresco that in many ways tells the story of Barbarescos differences. Moreover the the wines are made in exactly the same manner (fermentation in barriques, of which 30% new, followed by 18 to 20 months in neutral barriques) which amplifies the differences inthe respective terroirs.
In our view this is one of the best and brightest of the breed. The wines combine limpid transparency to thier repscetive sites with excellent ripeness and texture. There's no lack of tannin and structure but the way that is presented varies in each wine according to their different origins. They are fascinating and beautiful Barbaresci and well worth seeking out. MICHAEL McNAMARA
Sottimano farms 16 hectares in a non-interventionist manner (no pesticides or herbicides) across five distinctly different sub-climats; Basarin, Curru, Cotta, Pajore and Fausoni. Each plots sports different soil types, elevations, vine age and aspect which creates a stable of Barbaresco that in many ways tells the story of Barbarescos differences. Moreover the the wines are made in exactly the same manner (fermentation in barriques, of which 30% new, followed by 18 to 20 months in neutral barriques) which amplifies the differences inthe respective terroirs.
In our view this is one of the best and brightest of the breed. The wines combine limpid transparency to thier repscetive sites with excellent ripeness and texture. There's no lack of tannin and structure but the way that is presented varies in each wine according to their different origins. They are fascinating and beautiful Barbaresci and well worth seeking out. MICHAEL McNAMARA