# Barbaresco (2022)

- **Producer:** De Forville
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €35
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, rose, violet, eucalyptus, fennel, tar, leather, mushroom, tobacco

## About this wine

De Forville was established in Barbaresco in 1860 by Gioacchino De Forville, who emigrated from Belgium to Piedmont in 1848. An early pioneer of bottling Nebbiolo, Gioacchino collaborated with Domizio Cavazza, founder of the Royal Oenological School of Alba. Today, the estate is managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the family: Mafalda De Forville, her husband Bruno Anfosso, and their sons Valter and Paolo. Sourced from family-owned plots across prestigious Barbaresco crus including Loreto, Ovello, Cavanna, Rabaja, and Pozzo, this bottling is an iconic example of traditional Piedmontese winemaking. Notably, De Forville became the very first Italian estate imported by Neal Rosenthal in 1978.

## Interesting facts

- Founded in 1860 by Belgian immigrant Gioacchino De Forville, a key pioneer in early Nebbiolo production.
- Became the very first Italian wine imported by Rosenthal Wine Merchant in 1978.
- Aged exclusively in large neutral Slavonian oak botti to avoid modern barrique influences.

## Food pairing

The firm, high tannins and energetic acidity of Barbaresco require dishes rich in fat, protein, and savory umami elements. Slow-cooked meats, aged hard cheeses, and earthy mushroom or truffle preparations bond with the wine's structure, softening the tannic astringency while elevating its complex floral and earthy notes.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested from estate vineyards with an average vine age of 35 years planted in calcareous marl soils. Following destemming, the Nebbiolo juice undergoes fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for approximately two weeks, accompanied by regular pump-overs. The wine is then aged for 18 to 24 months in large, traditional neutral Slavonian oak casks (botti) rather than small new oak barriques, allowing the grape's natural structure and terroir expression to develop undisturbed before bottle aging.