Adriano Marco e Vittorio Basarin Barbaresco 2015
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A great match for red meat dishes, wild game and seasoned cheese.
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A streak of cherry bisects the supple texture and sleek structure in this elegant red. Hints of licorice, menthol, leather and tobacco add depth as this plays out on the chewy, resonant finish. Best from 2022 through 2038.
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The small craft winery run by Marco and Adriano Vittorio has won considerable fame among enthusiasts of Barbaresco and the typical wines of Piedmont. The family winegrowing tradition dates back to the start of the 1900s and the estate is located in the heart of the Langhe region, renowned for the production of great reds based on Nebbiolo among the most prestigious varieties in the Italian tradition. The vineyards are not far from Alba, famous for its white truffles, in San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. The Basarin vineyard, on the other hand, is in the municipality of Neive, one of the most important in the appellation. This Cru is ideally positioned, on a steep south-east facing slope with grey tufa stone marl soil. Adriano wines resemble the people who make them. They are frank, genuine and simple but incredibly profound and bound to tradition. They contain the quintessence of a magnificent terroir, full of charm and immense potential.
The estate is located in the heart of the Langhe region of Piedmont in the San Rocco Seno d’Elvio township. Marco and Vittorio Adriano cultivate vines and vinify exclusively with their own grapes to make wines that wholly reflect the terroir. The Adriano family began winemaking at the turn of the last century when Giuseppe, a tenant farmer began to cultivate vines. His son Aldo joined him in the enterprise and together they bought and planted a small estate.
In turn, the grandchildren Marco and Vittorio, cultivated the love for their land and its fruits, making the company grow: It is the 1994 harvest when they decide to wine their grapes by bottling the first bottles with the label Adriano. Nowadays, the estate encompasses 50 hectares, of which 10 hectares are devoted to hazelnuts, 10 are forested or lie fallow and 30 hectares are given over to Nebbiolo and Barbaresco, along with Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Sauvignon Blanc and white Moscato vines.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.