Cantina del Pino 'Ovello' Barbaresco DOCG, 2022

*This is our Annual Barolo Direct Import Offer*

Ovello is where it all started. This very holding of remarkable farmland indeed provided the Vacca Family with the necessary opportunity to grow this old vine Nebbiolo and gather their neighbors around the idea of the finery of Barbaresco...this is how and where the Vacca Family founded the original Produttori del Barbaresco in 1958. Years later, and a story I share often, Renato Vacca and his Father exited the famous cooperative to make their own wines, independently (1997). Since 1998 we have had the opportunity to drink the truly special and uniquely classy 'Ovello' from the Vacca's single plot (instead of a blend with others). This wine is extraordinary.

A classic expression of this distinguished Barbaresco MGA, combining the elegance and finesse of the site with the structure and depth that make Nebbiolo so compelling in the cellar. Sourced from south- and southwest-facing vineyards at 300 meters in elevation, the wine benefits from silty calcareous marl soils that emphasize both structure and finesse. Produced in just 5,400 bottles this is a rare and delicious bottle of wine. 

The Vintage 2022 shows a slow and steady entry on the palate, gradually revealing elegant fruit flavors with poise and precision. The tannins are a particular strength, both silky and firm, giving the wine definition and a graceful sense of structure without overwhelming the fruit. The dry 2022 vintage called for careful tannin management, and Franca Vacca at Cantina del Pino, has done a remarkable job: a wine with backbone and refinement in equal measure. Rather than relying on sheer weight, the Ovello builds its impression gradually, revealing its character through texture, freshness and finely balanced fruit.

This is a Barbaresco that belongs with roast meats, veal, game, mushrooms, handmade pasta and a beautiful steak. Its combination of fine tannin and elegant fruit gives it enough presence for substantial food while maintaining the finesse to remain graceful throughout a long meal. There is a lovely sense of restraint here, the kind of wine that becomes more interesting as it sits in the glass and as the evening progresses. For those who appreciate traditional Nebbiolo, this has all the ingredients to become a particularly amazing bottle with time.

The élevage is equally compelling. Fermented in traditional wooden vats, the wine spends 24 months in large casks before another 18 months of development in bottle. That patient approach gives the wine considerable time to integrate its tannins and develop complexity while preserving the character of the vineyard. The combination of high-elevation fruit, south and southwest exposures, silty calcareous marl soils and traditional cellar work results in a Barbaresco that feels firmly rooted in its place and beautifully aligned with the classic character of Ovello.

The 2022 is already showing its poise and precision, but the silky firmness of the tannins and patient élevage make this a wine with genuine cellar potential. Very Special.

 These wines are on-order to our Shops and inbound, expected for available pickup/delivery/shipping by early December.

(This wine is Vintage 2022, not yet arrived; the photograph here is of a previously released Vintage.)

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