2017 Barbaresco Cole

Moccagatta endured two very challenging vintages in 2017 and 2018. The 2017s, which I reviewed last year, retain the battle scars of a season marked by frost, hail and dry, warm weather. Unfortunately, hail was also an issue in 2018. The Minuto family did not bottle their Basarin because the vineyard was still recovering from damage sustained in 2017. Instead, that fruit went into the straight Barbaresco bottling. The 2018 Barbarescos showed well, all things considered. Yields are down dramatically, especially for the Bric Balin, where severe selection resulted in a tiny production of just one-third of the normal quantity. The wines are made as they have been for the past thirty or so years. Fermentation is done in stainless steel and the wines are aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels.

Like many estates in Barbaresco, Moccagatta endured a tough year in 2017. Hail and frost were big challenges, especially in Basarin, Cottà and Cars (Bric Balin). Unrelenting warm and dry weather led to the latest harvest on record. Moccagatta did not bottle their Barbaresco Basarin at all, opting instead to put the small amount of fruit that was salvaged into the Langhe Nebbiolo. Overall, the lower parts of the slopes did best because of slightly cooler temperatures and greater access to water. In tasting, the 2017s are lighter than normal and come across as not fully developed, which is the result of fruit that was not fully ripe. The 2016 Barbarescos, on the other hand, are every bit as compelling as they were last year.