Wine & Spirits - Winter 2017 - 73

Produttori del Barbaresco
Pulling Together: Produttori originated in 1958 when Barbaresco's
village priest organized 19 local families into a cooperative winery.
According to Aldo Vacca, director since 1991, the co-op's success grew
out of three decisions adopted by the founding families: They would
focus exclusively on nebbiolo from Barbaresco (a hard decision, as it
meant giving up easy cash from wines based on dolcetto or barbera);
member families would deliver all of their nebbiolo grapes to the
co-op rather than keeping the best fruit for themselves; and growers
would be compensated based on the ripeness of their grapes, not the
weight. Taken together, these decisions ensured an emphasis on quality over quantity.
Single Crus: The current 51 grower families own vineyards in Barbaresco village's most prestigious crus, and Produttori was one of the
first producers to bottle single-cru Barbarescos back in 1967. In good
vintages, Produttori will produce nine single-cru wines; in vintages
that lack that extra personality, all of the fruit will go into their classic Barbaresco, as was the case in 2010 and 2012. The single-cru wines
undergo the same treatment in the cellar (fermenting on the skins for
one month, followed by three years of aging in large oak casks), putting the spotlight squarely on terroir differences.

La Scaletta: In the early years, growers were paid based on sugar levels; the riper the grapes, the bigger the return. More recently, climate
change has made it easier to achieve ripeness, so in 2001, the co-op
added other measures to the equation. A scoreboard (la scaletta) is
posted in the winery and lists figures for tannin quality and color
intensity, in addition to sugar levels. The grapes are analyzed as soon
as they come in during harvest, so growers know exactly what they're
worth. The incentive is on producing the most balanced fruit, not just
the ripest. That has paid off in vintages like 2011, when Produttori
was able to produce all of their single-cru wines despite a warm growing season.
2011 Vintage: Produttori's fruit in the warm 2011 season was as ripe as
it could be without being overripe, according to Vacca. Cool nights
at the end of August and into September helped the tannins evolve
well and maintained acidity. It's hard to pick favorites from the seven
single-cru wines our panels recommended, but Rabajà emerged as
the star for its thrilling suave tannins, cool minerality and layered
complexity. A trio of others were close behind, including the vibrant
Ovello, with its powerful tannins, from a cool, clay-rich site; the fleshy
and buoyant Pajè and the darkly savory Asili. Stock up on as many
as you can, and when you open a bottle, don't forget to glance at the
back label for the names of each grower whose fruit made it into the
wine. -S.J.

Rabajà vineyard

Aldo Vacca

DETAILS & TOP WINES
Founded: 1958 * Winemakers: Aldo Vacca & Gianni Testa
Viticulturist: Aldo Vacca * Owners: 51 members * Acres
owned by co-op members: 280 * Annual production:
46,000 cases * Estate grown: 100% * Importer: Vias
Imports, NY * Website: produttoridelbarbaresco.com

96 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà $59 (12/16)
94 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Asili $59 (12/16)
94 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello $59 (12/16)

I TALY P IEDMONT
WINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2018

TOP 100 WINERIES 2017

Produttori del Barbaresco sets the standard for cooperative wineries in Italy
and beyond.

http://www.produttoridelbarbaresco.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2017