Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2015 (about $48)
Italian Wine for march, 2022
The Produttori del Barbaresco is a cooperative winery that has built up an enviable reputation as one of the Piedmont’s greatest wineries, known for producing top-quality Barbaresco wines made in the traditional way with good ageing potential.
It was founded in the late 1950’s when 19 wineries decided to pool resources and make a go of it together. Today it has over 50 members and collectively can lay claim to some of the best vineyard sites in the area.
The winery produces exclusively Nebbiolo-based wines of which the vast majority consists of Barbaresco. Every year Nebbiolo grapes from the co-op’s members are blended to produce the winery’s flagship Barbaresco wine, an intense and elegant wine that is one of Italy’s greatest wine values.
However, in special vintages the winery can produce up to 10 different Barbaresco wines. In these special years, the grapes from 9 selected vineyards are set aside for production of single-vineyard Barbaresco wines that receive an extra year of ageing, thereby qualifying for Riserva status. So, in prime vintage years the co-op’s flagship Barbaresco wine is complemented with up to 9 different cru Riserva wines.
In addition to its Barbaresco wines, each year the co-op produces a small amount of Langhe Nebbiolo wine, which essentially is declassified Barbaresco.
Produttori del Barbaresco’s 2015 flagship Barbaresco is a good example of the high quality of the co-op’s wines. The Nebbiolo grapes harvested from the co-op’s members are 
fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks and then aged in large-format oak vats for 26 months. The wine spends 9 additional months in the bottle prior to release for sale. The wine has 14.5 percent alcohol.
In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color with an orange tint on the rim. 2015 was an excellent vintage in the Piedmont with warm and sunny days with occasional rains and a long growing season. The wine exhibits its vintage pedigree with a full-bodied mouthfeel marked with ripe dark fruit and subtle spice flavors and silky tannins. Plum and black raspberry flavors give lift to a long, balanced finish.
While its price has crept up since release, the 2015 remains one of the Barbaresco appellation’s best bargains - that is when you can find it. But more recent vintages are available and some, like the also-excellent 2016, are trustworthy, quality alternatives.
©Richard Marcis
March 9, 2022
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