2009 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Pairolero

I can't say enough good things about the Sottimano family and the work they have done over the years to firmly establish themselves among Barbaresco's top growers. This is one of the few places in Piedmont where every wine is consistently delicious. The only question is how delicious. In recent years, Andrea Sottimano has worked to give his Barbareschi extended time on the lees in a cold cellar, which also slows down the malos. This distinctly Burgundian approach stands in stark contrast to the way most French oak-aged wines are made in Piedmont, where malos typically follow right after the alcoholic fermentations. I tasted the 2010s just after they were bottled. Readers should take these notes as brief impressions on wines that will continue to come to life with further time in bottle.

Andrea Sottimano, who makes the family's wines along with his father Rino, who is also an enologist, is yet another Piedmont producer who's a huge fan of Burgundy. "My contribution to our wines is my love for Burgundy," he told me. "We're willing to sacrifice some weight for elegance and definition." Sottimano makes the wines with as little intervention as possible (particularly since 2004), eschewing enzymes and selected yeasts, leaving the wines on their lees for a long time, allowing the malolactic fermentation to take place naturally (the '08s finished just before the harvest of '09), even if it happens late, and bottling without filtering or fining. Sottimano told me that "2008 is the real classic," and, indeed, my tastings turned up a set of wines that superbly display their various terroirs. "It was one of our latest harvests, with 2006 and 2004, and the thick grape skins required long maturation." Accordingly, the Sottimanos have slowed their release schedule for the '08s. "We'd prefer to release our Barbarescos along with the Barolos from the same vintage," he said. Sottimano describes the 2007 Barbarescos as rich but also classic. "I would never have guessed it at harvest time," he explained, "but the wines put on weight during aging. As for the 2009s, Sottimano said: "People just seem to love them; there's no other definition for a vintage like that." (numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael, CA; and M. S. Walker, Somerville, MA)