2019 Montaribaldi Rio Sordo Barbaresco

The Barbaresco DOCG Rio Sordo is a red wine, aged for about 30 months in oak barrels, produced with Nebbiolo grapes from the Rio Sordo MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) of the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) area of ​​Barbaresco. The Rio Sordo is only made by Montaribaldi in the top years and this 2019 is the successor to the 2009. The Barbaresco DOCG Rio Sordo is a very long-lived wine. In addition, the conformation of the vineyard of origin gives it excellent elegance. The year 2019 was a fantastic Barberesco year or better for lovers of a classic Barberesco. Not too hot, not too cold, not too wet, which allowed the Nebbiolo grapes to ripen quietly and for a long time.

Of course, the Rio Sordo vineyard is located in the municipality of Barbaresco at an altitude of 270-290 m above sea level. The vineyard has a south and west exposure. The soil consists of fossil marl - gray-blue marl (more and less sandy) and is fine and calcareous. The Rio Sordo vineyard is one of the oldest in the region and was planted in 1966. Old vines with very low yields. Very dense planting was also done at that time to create as much competition as possible in the vineyard, causing the vines to root deeper.

The 100% Nebbiolo is a late ripening grape variety. It was harvested between the end of September and the first fifteen days of October. Once at the winery, the grapes are destemmed and crushed. They were then placed in stainless steel thermo-conditioned tanks where alcoholic fermentation and maceration take place. This takes at least a week and a half at a temperature of 28-32°C. After fermentation, this top Barberesco was in contact with its lees for at least two months (temperature 20-22°C) while the malolactic fermentation was completed. The Barbaresco Rio Sordo was then aged for about 24 months in traditional oak barrels of 2,000-3,000 lt. Finally, about 3 years after the harvest, the Barbaresco DOCG Rio Sordo was bottled and then remained for at least 6 months in the cellars of Montaribaldi in Barberesco.

This Rio Sordo Barberesco from the great year 2019 is a beautiful wine. In the glass the wine has a deep garnet red color with orange reflections. On the nose the wine has intense aromas with hints of ripe fruit and herbs, notes of cocoa and tobacco. In the mouth a very good structure, intense, fine, elegant and yet pleasantly tannic and fresh. Give this wine some time because Nebbiolo always has strong acids and hard tannins in its younger years. These will blend fantastically with the fruit over time. Due to its properties, this wine can be perfectly combined with red and roasted meat, game and savory aged cheeses. We always try to be objective and this is personal taste, but for us this is one of the most beautiful Barberesco's we have tasted and promises a lot for the future. The wine has everything, fruit, beautiful tannins and good acidity and is so elegant and powerful at the same time. Serving temperature: 18 °C and serve in a large glass. We even prefer a Burgundy glass .

BAROLO VS BARBARESCO

Piedmont - synonymous with truffles, risotto and, of course, delicious wines! - is considered one of the best wine regions in Italy. The local conditions of terrain, soil and weather create some fantastic wines. As far as red wines are concerned, the Barolos and Barbarescos are world-famous, powerful wines that keep well. Although Barolo and Barbaresco are made from the same grape, Nebbiolo, and produced in adjacent areas less than 10 miles apart, Barbaresco and Barolo wines have a number of distinctive differences.

The Barbaresco area is located south of the Tanaro River and the area, due to its location, has a slightly higher average temperature which allows the Nebbiolo grape to ripen here slightly earlier than in the Barolo area. Young tannins in a young Barbaresco are often not as hard as Barolo and under DOCG rules it is permitted to release Barbaresco for sale a year earlier than Barolo. The most pronounced difference between the two wines is that Barbaresco's tannins tend to soften more quickly, with the wine being more accessible at a younger age than Barolo. The Barbaresco area is smaller than the Barolo area with an annual production of approximately 35% of Barolo production, meaning that Barbaresco is not as widely available on the market.

FACT : In the Tab: Appendix you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send it to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address.