# Vigna Gallina Barbaresco (2018)

- **Producer:** Ugo Lequio
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €69
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** dried red berries, spices, cocoa, moist bark, tar

## About this wine

The Vigna Gallina Barbaresco 2018 by Ugo Lequio is a single-vineyard wine from the highly regarded Gallina cru in Neive, Barbaresco. This prestigious appellation in Piedmont is famed for its Nebbiolo wines. Ugo Lequio, an artisan producer, follows a philosophy of patience and meticulous oversight from vineyard to bottle. The Gallina cru benefits from a prime south-facing exposure and ancient vines, contributing to the wine's structure and elegance. The 2018 vintage, while having a challenging start, yielded wines of notable elegance and a medium-bodied profile.

## Interesting facts

- The Gallina cru vines were planted between 1953 and 1971.
- The vineyard soil is Sant'Agata marl, rich in limestone and clay.
- Ugo Lequio ages his wines for a minimum of 26 months before release.
- The wine boasts a significant 15% alcohol by volume.

## Food pairing

The firm tannins and medium-plus body of this Barbaresco are well-suited to rich protein dishes, where the tannins bind with the meat's proteins, softening both. The wine's complexity and spice notes complement game and braised meats, while its structure can stand up to robust flavors.

## Wine making process

The Vigna Gallina Barbaresco 2018 is produced using 100% Nebbiolo grapes. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, with maceration on the skins lasting for 15-18 days. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for 20 months in large 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. An additional 6 months of bottle aging precedes its release. This traditional approach aims to showcase the characteristics of the Gallina cru and the Nebbiolo grape.