Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020

Produttori del Barbaresco's Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020 is an exceptionally structured, elegant and ageworthy red wine. It's a single-vineyard Nebbiolo from the Ovello cru in Barbaresco, Piedmont, grown on cooler, clay-rich slopes that give the wine real backbone. It shows red berry, dried herb and forest-floor character, wrapped around firm, persistent tannin. It's a wine for someone who loves classic, structured Barbaresco and is happy to let it age.

In the glass it shows a dense, brooding perfume of dark plum and blackberry, cedar and pipe tobacco, with something stony running underneath. Antonio Galloni of Vinous flagged it as a serious, still-unfolding wine, and the palate backs that up: full-bodied and chewy, with a long, structured finish.

This isn't an everyday wine. It rewards being decanted before serving, with the tannin softening into something layered and complete. It's the kind of Barbaresco we'd pour with a good braise or venison, on a night when the meal deserves the wait.

Only 20,000 bottles of the Ovello Riserva are made each vintage, from a cru Produttori del Barbaresco has been bottling on its own since 1967.

What it tastes like

The nose opens with dark cherry and plum, layered with graphite, crushed stone and a savoury, iron-like edge that marks out the cooler, clay-rich Ovello site. Dried herbs, leather and a touch of spice build in the glass as it opens up.

The palate is full-bodied and firmly structured, with fine-grained tannin that grips without biting and good acidity running underneath to keep it fresh. The finish is long and savoury, with that same mineral streak returning at the end.

It's a serious, built-to-age Barbaresco with real presence.

Style at a glance

• Body: Full
• Sweetness: Dry
• Acidity: High
• Tannin: Firm
• Oak: Large oak casks (botti); adds structure and a savoury edge rather than overt oak flavour
• Style: Structured, savoury and ageworthy

Food to enjoy this with

• Fresh egg pasta, such as tajarin with a butter and sage sauce
• Risotto, especially a mushroom or red wine risotto
• Roast white meat, such as chicken or veal
• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Game birds
• Venison, the classic Piedmont partner for a structured Barbaresco like this one

Who makes it

Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative based in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 by a parish priest who brought together 19 struggling local growers. It has grown to around 60 members, many of whom farm some of Barbaresco's best vineyard sites. Its everyday Barbaresco is regarded as one of Italy's great wine values, and in the best vintages it also bottles up to nine single-vineyard Riservas from its finest crus.

The Ovello cru sits on Barbaresco's northernmost slopes, 20 hectares of vineyard facing southwest and southeast at 250 to 320 metres. Domizio Cavazza was already growing wine here in 1894, and its soils carry more clay than most of the appellation, giving Ovello's wine a cooler, fuller-bodied character.

Produttori del Barbaresco works with minimal intervention, aiming to let each cru speak for itself. Ovello was one of the first five vineyards it bottled as a single site, back in 1967, and it remains one of nine crus that becomes a Riserva only in strong vintages.

For the 2020 vintage, the Ovello grapes fermented at 30°C with 28 days on the skins, and malolactic fermentation finished before the wine went into large oak casks, where it aged for a minimum of 30 months before bottling in June.

About the vintage

The 2020 growing season in Barbaresco brought plenty of rain through the year and warm, humid conditions, with a real heat spike at the end of July and into August. Despite that, the grapes ripened evenly and the tannins came in refined rather than harsh.

Decanter rated 2020 a very good vintage for Barbaresco, describing the best wines as round, generous and well balanced, following a run of trickier years: a dry 2017, a dilute 2018 and a hail-hit 2019. Production across the appellation rose too, from 4.9 million to 5.1 million bottles, as more growers came online.

When to drink it

Antonio Galloni of Vinous suggests this drinks well from 2025 through to 2035. That's the sort of wine you buy a case of and open one bottle a year to watch it evolve.

Technical details

Where to buy

The Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines. Only 20,000 bottles are made each vintage, so it doesn't stick around for long.

Questions we are often asked

What grape is Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020 made from?

It's 100% Nebbiolo, grown in the Ovello cru within the Barbaresco DOCG in Piedmont, Italy.

What food pairs well with this wine?

It suits richer, savoury food such as venison, game or a good braise, as well as classic Piedmont dishes like fresh egg pasta and risotto.

How long will the Ovello Riserva 2020 keep?

Critic Antonio Galloni pegs its drinking window at 2025 to 2035, so there's plenty of time to let the tannin settle before opening it.

Why is it called 'Ovello'?

Ovello is the name of the single vineyard the grapes come from, Barbaresco's northernmost cru. Produttori del Barbaresco has bottled it on its own since 1967.

Who makes Produttori del Barbaresco wines?

Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 and now made up of around 60 member growers.

Where can I buy Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020?

The Winery sells Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Ovello' 2020 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.