Bravo Howard, like everyone I’ll be checking back when photos become uploadable.
2004 is a top year.
Next I love 2008 - purity, freshness, finesse, and intensity is amazing.
2007 is good but the wines I tasted looked more forward. Bit more ripe and less structured. Easy to drink. They are appealing and in the short term (next 10 years) will look more desirable than the more structured 2004 or 2008.
2009 is like 2007 but more exaggerated. More ripe and even less structure.
Not tasted the 2005 or 2011 riservas.
The heart of Barbaresco: Barbaresco tower is in the background. The building at centre is Marchesi dei Gresy’s winery. Behind it and to the left and right (in this order) are their monopole vineyards: Gaiun, Martinenga (directly behind the winery) and Camp Gros (the ‘s’ is pronounced). Asili is immediately to the left of Gauin. Rabajà is above Martinenga and off to the right. Pora is out of picture to the left and Rio Sordo, of which Produttori owns 80%, is also out of picture below Rabajà.
Barbaresco itself. Below Aldo with 40 year old Ovello vines. Vigorous growth this year!
The Big Ms: on the back hill, below the tower, towards Muncagota, Montestefano and Montefico, due to their sun, typically producing bigger expressions. (Ovello to the right, over the hill).
Gorgeous hills!
Great pics, thanks. Wonderfull place
It is almost like beeing Back in Barbaresco.
Hi Howard - thanks for these great notes.
My impressions were similar to yours. Montefico was my favourite. I loved the Ovello, Rabajà and Asili. In this warm vintage the sites that produced more structured wines impressed me more than others like Pora and Rio Sordo.