2014 Barbaresco Ovello Riserva Produttori del Barbaresco

Though the summer was cool and wet, the last rainfall in Barbaresco was on 12 August. Harvest started exactly two months later, allowing the grapes to ripen under much improved conditions. Quantities were down 30%, but quality was high enough for Produttori to craft their cru Riservas. Bottled 20 days prior to tasting, the 2014 is uncharacteristically forward with a veritable explosion of red cherry. Enchanting notes of rose petal, violet, blood orange peel and pepper follow. Bright acidity accentuates the tannins, but they are fine and dissolve effortlessly. While this comes across as approachable now, it might shut down in bottle and I'd give it some time following its release next spring. I suspect it will be a mid-term rather than a long ager. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.

Always one of my favorite wines from Produttori del Barbaresco, the 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello lays out a broad and soft mouthfeel, with tannins that have already been polished and integrated thanks to ample time in the bottle already. It's safe to say that this Ovello cru loyally demonstrates the level of richness and textural softness that this site is known for. The bouquet is redolent of bright berry fruit with cherry, blackberry and plum. Also, the 2014 vintage was a warm one at the end of the growing season, and you taste a little bit of that ripeness here too. 2021 - 2045.

The 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is bright and piercing, as it so often is, and yet it also has more than enough fruit to fill out its mid-weight, energetic frame. Pine, mint, crushed rocks and sweet red plum build into the huge, piercing finish. The Ovello is another wine in this range that demands patience. Even in the early going it is super impressive. The 2014 s an unusually dense, packed Ovello. It should be terrific in another few years' time. 2024 - 2044.