Barbaresco’s Stellar 2011s 

The 2011 Barbarescos have turned out beautifully. Racy and pliant, the best 2011s are gorgeous and will drink well early.

The 2011 Growing Season

As Piedmont fans know by now, the 2011 growing season in northern Italy was characterized by a warm spring that led to a very early flowering. On average, temperatures were higher than normal, with very little rain, until early summer, when conditions became a bit more moderate. Warm weather returned during the second half of August, accelerating the final phase of ripening and causing issues with dehydration.

Castello di Neive’s oldest bottles date back to 1904

Unfortunately, Barbaresco almost always gets lumped in with Barolo rather than being considered on its own, which is a real disservice to the consumer and wine lover. Rarely has that been so obvious than with the 2010 and 2011 vintages. In 2010, late-season rains compromised the harvest in some spots in Barbaresco. But Barbaresco may have gotten its revenge in 2011.

Barbaresco has several distinct advantages over Barolo. Those differences are particularly evident in warm years.  In 2011, the late-season heat wave was much less of an issue in Barbaresco, as the fruit was much closer to being harvested, so the warmth just slightly accelerated the final phase of ripening. But in Barolo, where the fruit ripens one to two weeks later, the vines got the full impact of the unusually higher temperatures, which is why some wines are distinctly ripe.