Produttori del Barbaresco: The 1999 Riservas

This recent tasting provided a great opportunity to compare the Produttori’s single-vineyard 1999 Riservas side-by-side. As I reported in Issue 1 of Piedmont Report, the Produttori del Barbaresco cooperative has focused on single vineyard Barbarescos since its inception in 1958. Although Nebbiolo is a prized grape today, that wasn’t always the case. The Produttori were well ahead of their time in the late 1950s. Readers should note that as part of their charter, the Produttori either bottle all of their Riservas in a given vintage, or none at all.

Winemaking remains very much traditional. My sense is that the wines have increasingly become more consistent in recent years as the Produttori have increased the standards they require of their member-growers in the field and also made significant upgrades in the cellar, including replacing many of their older botti. Best of all, the Produttori Riservas remain some of the most reasonably priced, age-worthy wines made anywhere in the world.

Managing Director Aldo Vacca is very high on the vintage, saying “I think 1999 is an extraordinary vintage very much in the classic style. I would have to go back to 1971 to find a vintage that combines such ripe fruit, structure, and aging potential.” Speaking of more recent vintages Vacca says “1999 combines the structure of 1989 with the ripeness of 1990.”