Produttori del Barbaresco's Barbaresco Riserva 'Rio Sordo' 2020 is produced only in exceptional vintages, and the 2020 release is celebrated as the 'silky one' of the line-up, showing a rounder, softer and more approachable profile. It's a single-vineyard Nebbiolo from the Rio Sordo cru, grown on light limestone soils close to the river in Barbaresco, Piedmont. Wild raspberry, cherry and warm spice sit over silky, refined tannin, with real structure underneath the elegance. It was rated 96 POINTS by Jeb Dunnuck, and it's a wine for someone who loves Barbaresco with real polish.
In the glass it shows a savoury, spice-driven perfume: dark spice and a hint of truffle sit over blackcurrant and a citrus lift, with a cool, mineral edge running through. The tannin is the calling card here, fine and polished rather than gripping, and the finish is long and well balanced.
This is the most immediately charming of Produttori del Barbaresco's single-vineyard Riservas, though it still carries real depth. It rewards being decanted for an hour or so, and it's the kind of Barbaresco we'd pour for someone just discovering how good this style can be, alongside a good venison or game dish.
Just 13,000 bottles of the Rio Sordo Riserva are made each vintage, from the youngest of Produttori del Barbaresco's single-vineyard sites: it was first bottled on its own in 1978.
What it tastes like
The nose is spicy and inviting, with pomegranate, strawberry and a waft of star anise over a base of leather and incense. It's more perfumed and open than some of Produttori del Barbaresco's other single-vineyard wines, true to Rio Sordo's reputation as the softest, most seductive of the crus.
The palate is medium to full-bodied, with a velvety texture and tannin that's refined rather than firm. There's real depth of fruit, blackcurrant and dark cherry, backed by a savoury edge that keeps it from feeling soft.
It's polished and layered, built to be enjoyed a little sooner than its stablemates.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium to full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Medium-high
- Tannin: Silky, refined
- Oak: Large oak casks (botti); adds gentle spice and a savoury frame
- Style: Elegant, silky and approachable
Food to enjoy this with
- Fresh egg pasta, like tajarin with a light meat ragù
- Risotto, especially with mushroom or truffle
- Roast white meat, such as chicken or veal
- Grilled or roasted red meat
- Game birds
- Venison, a classic match for Barbaresco's silkier side
Who makes it
Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative 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 Rio Sordo cru is a small site, just 4.5 hectares on a south-west-facing hillside in the southern part of the village, close to the river the vineyard is named for. Its soils are lighter than most of Barbaresco's, with less calcium and some sandy veins running through the limestone, and that lighter ground shows up in the wine as softer, silkier tannin.
Produttori del Barbaresco works with minimal intervention, aiming to let each cru speak for itself. Rio Sordo was the last of the cooperative's nine crus to be bottled on its own, first released as a single vineyard wine in 1978.
For the 2020 vintage, the Rio Sordo 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 and warm, humid conditions through the year, with a real heat spike at the end of July and into August. The grapes still 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, after 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.
Critic scores and ratings
- 96 POINTS – Jeb Dunnuck – jebdunnuck.com, May 2025
When to drink it
Jeb Dunnuck reckons this has 15 to 20 years of life ahead of it, so it's good to at least 2040. That's the sort of wine you buy a case of and open one bottle a year to watch it evolve.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Produttori del Barbaresco |
| Wine: |
Barbaresco Riserva 'Rio Sordo' |
| Vintage: |
2020 |
| Variety: |
100% Nebbiolo |
| Region: |
Barbaresco (Rio Sordo cru), Piedmont |
| Country: |
Italy |
| Alcohol: |
14.5% |
| Oak: |
Large oak casks (botti), minimum 30 months |
| Fermentation: |
Stainless steel, 28 days on skins |
| Cellaring: |
To 2040 |
Where to buy
The Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Rio Sordo' 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 13,000 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 'Rio Sordo' 2020 made from?
It's 100% Nebbiolo, grown in the Rio Sordo cru within the Barbaresco DOCG in Piedmont, Italy.
What food pairs well with this wine?
It suits venison, game and a good braise, as well as classic Piedmont dishes like fresh egg pasta and risotto.
How long will the Rio Sordo Riserva 2020 keep?
Critic Jeb Dunnuck gives it 15 to 20 years of life from when he tasted it, so it's good to at least 2040.
Why is Rio Sordo considered the silkiest of Produttori del Barbaresco's Riservas?
Its vineyard has lighter, sandier soil with less calcium than most of Barbaresco, which gives the wine softer, more polished tannin than its stablemates.
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 'Rio Sordo' 2020?
The Winery sells Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Rio Sordo' 2020 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
