# Ugo Lequio Barbaresco Gallina (2020)

- **Producer:** Ugo Lequio
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €43
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, strawberry, rose, violet, black pepper, liquorice, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, leather, tobacco, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Ugo Lequio is a highly respected, boutique producer based in Neive, within the Barbaresco zone of Piedmont. Established in 1981, Lequio began as a classic 'garage winemaker' who did not initially own vineyards. Through determination, he secured access to the historic Gallina Cru, a prestigious hill with clay-limestone soils and exceptionally old vines planted between 1953 and 1971. This specific site previously supplied grapes to the legendary Bruno Giacosa, and Lequio continues this traditional, uncompromising approach to crafting classic, age-worthy Nebbiolo.

## Interesting facts

- Ugo Lequio started his estate in 1981 without owning any vines, sourcing instead from the legendary Gallina Cru.
- The Gallina vineyard contains exceptionally old Nebbiolo vines planted in 1953, 1963, and 1971.
- The estate's Gallina grapes were historically sold to the iconic Piedmontese winemaking legend Bruno Giacosa.

## Food pairing

The high tannins and vibrant acidity of this Nebbiolo require rich, protein-heavy dishes and savory fats to soften the wine's structure on the palate. Earthy components like truffles and wild mushrooms mirror the wine's complex tertiary potential, while the high alcohol and intense structure will clash with delicate seafood or intense chili heat.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for the Gallina Cru is deeply traditional. Hand-harvested Nebbiolo grapes undergo fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, accompanied by an extended skin-contact maceration period of 15 to 18 days to extract structure and color. The wine is then aged for 20 months in large, traditional 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks, allowing for a slow, micro-oxygenation without imparting dominant wood flavors. Finally, the wine is refined in the bottle for at least 6 months before release.