Brand new here. Have enjoyed browsing the boards and reading the opinions and insights so thought I’d ask for some help on Barbaresco.
I was introduced to the charms of the wines on a recent trip there and would appreciate any recommendations on reliable producers. I’m probably not going to be spending Gaja-like money so suggestions in the sub $50 range would be most helpful.
To me, the combination of their price, overall quality and general availability puts the Produttori at the top of the list for someone who wants to begin to explore Barbaresco.
Buy their 2012 Normale and as many of the different 2011 crus as you can track down and that’s a great way to start to gain some familiarity with the area.
In addition, there are a number of retailers (Chambers Street immediately comes to mind) that have older vintages in stock if you want to check out the wines with a little age on them to see the difference time makes.
Once you’ve established your foundation, a pairing of a few Produttori crus with some Sottimano releases might be a decent way to see if your palate leans modern or traditional.
And if you really decide to delve into the area, no exploration would be complete without checking out folks like Giacosa and Roagna to see what the very best producers are capable of.
If you are new to Nebbiolo based wine, go with Produttorio as they give a lot of bang without too much bucks. Had an offer for the 2012 for $23 a bottle today from Winex.
Do any producers drink reasonably well early? I’m pretty familiar w/ the Barolo side, but much less side on Barbaresco. I find that even some of the most traditional Barolo (Rinaldi, Bartolo, etc) drink pretty well for 1-2 years after release before they go away and hide… but my experience with young Cortese, Paitin & Produturri’s SV’s is they are pretty tough to drink. Definitely more of a traditional lean but can appreciate a good modern producer (Sandrone comes to mind, much more so than Altare).