2015 Barbaresco Riserva Pora

Once again, I thought it would be instructive to taste the Produttori's Riservas with a bit more time in bottle. I can't say my impression has changed too much from the last time I saw the wines, about three months prior. The warm growing season reduced the differences between the wines and blurred some site character, which is what often happens in years like this. At the same time, the heat also left the tannins with a bit of edginess, so these are not opulent wines that will drink well right out of the gate, but rather Barbarescos that need a bit of time in bottle to be at their best.

This is another strong set of wines from Produttori del Barbaresco. The straight 2016 Barbaresco is fabulous and also shows just how compelling the year is. There is much to like in the 2015 Riservas as well. According to Managing Director Aldo Vacca cold nights in September saved a year that had, up until then, been very warm. I found the 2015 Riservas to be very good, but not at the level of the very finest vintages. It is tempting to think that the wines will drink well early because warm years often give sumptuous wines, but I don't see that in the 2015s. To the contrary, I believe the 2015s are going to need a few years in bottle, as the tannins are not perfectly ripe as they were in 2014, for example, when a longer growing season presented truly ideal conditions for Nebbiolo. Moreover, in warmer years, the style of the vintage often dominates over site, as is the case with the 2015s. As I did last year with the 2014s, I will taste the 2015s again shortly, which will be a good opportunity to see how the wines have developed over the last few months.