A Look Back at the 2004 & 2005 Barbarescos

Piedmont fans will find plenty to like in Barbaresco's 2004s and 2005s. Growers heaved a sigh of relief in 2004 after enduring two very hard years in 2003 and 2002. Two thousand five was a bit more challenging, but the best wines have turned out beautifully.

The 2004 and 2005 Growing Seasons

At its best, Piedmont is a place of sensory overload. Between the scents of white truffles, the heady aromatics of Nebbiolo, the amazing food and the breathtaking scenery, Piedmont is almost too much. That’s the way I felt when I spent time in the Langhe towards the end of fall, 2004. The intense perfume of Nebbiolo in various stages of fermentation was utterly captivating. That was my first impression of the 2004 vintage.

After the torrid 2003, a year with a brutal and unrelenting summer, growers were thrilled with the much less eventful 2004. Vines responded to the more temperate conditions by releasing all of the energy that they had held in store from the previous year and set a huge crop. Keeping yields in check was the major challenge in 2004, a year with moderate temperatures and a classic October harvest. Growers who were diligent with regards to yields were rewarded with silky, perfumed Barbarescos that are outstanding or better, but where producers were a bit less attentive the wines are often a bit weak and lacking in depth.