2021 Produttori del Barbaresco - Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo (750ml)

Produttori del Barbaresco began in 1958 when the village priest brought nineteen small growers together to farm and vinify their Nebbiolo as one, a cooperative model that let modest family plots survive where they could not have alone. The estate has since grown to some fifty-six member families tending roughly 100 hectares across Barbaresco's finest sites, and in the best vintages it releases single-vineyard Riservas from nine historic crus, including Rio Sordo, first bottled on its own by the Produttori back in 1978.

Rio Sordo sits on southwest-facing slopes farther from the cooling influence of the Tanaro River than many of Barbaresco's other crus, giving it a comparatively warm mesoclimate. Its sandy, mineral-rich soils, low in calcium but marked by manganese and other trace minerals, tend to produce Nebbiolo with a lighter, more translucent structure and earlier-developing tannins than heavier clay-based sites like Asili or Rabajà. Like the estate's other Riservas, it receives extended aging in large oak casks before release.

The 2021 shows a smoldering core of black cherry and blackberry fruit, shaded by iron, underbrush, and a whiff of leather, with dense, square-shouldered structure balanced by fresh acidity. The finish is broad and long, with tannins that will soften nicely over time. It pairs beautifully with braised beef, roasted lamb, or truffle-dusted pasta.