Cantina del Pino
Ovello Barbaresco Nebbiolo
Barbaresco, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy
My first time trying one of the wines from Cantina del Pino, an estate with greater ties to Barbaresco’s roots than most. The Vacca family were long a part of the Produttori but in 1997 branched out (yes, a pun: it was they who in the 1920s planted the now iconic pine tree on the highest point of the Ovello lieu-dit), and now produce two single vineyard Barbaresco bottlings (this, and an Albesani), as well as a generic Barbaresco and Langhe, Barbera and Dolcetto wines.
Tragically, winemaker Renato Vacca died in March last year after a yearlong battle with cancer. The 2016 vintage, just bottled, is supposed to be superb.
For now, though, the Ovello from the less lauded 2012 vintage. This is a knockout wine, still young, and with great promise. The nose is very exotic, quite heady & oaky even after a two hour decant, but opened up as the evening progressed, to give gorgeous aromas of macerated cherry, blackberry preserve, cinnamon, cedar and old leather. It screams Nebbiolo, and it’s the first Nebb I’ve had in a year or so.
The palate is very concentrated, with ripe and intense flavours of cranberry, dried cherry, cured meat and tobacco leaf. There is great tension and energy through the mouth, which only this village - or its neighbour - can achieve. The finish is long and impressive. A seductive, ageworthy wine.
94+
My first time trying one of the wines from Cantina del Pino, an estate with greater ties to Barbaresco’s roots than most. The Vacca family were long a part of the Produttori but in 1997 branched out (yes, a pun: it was they who in the 1920s planted the now iconic pine tree on the highest point of the Ovello lieu-dit), and now produce two single vineyard Barbaresco bottlings (this, and an Albesani), as well as a generic Barbaresco and Langhe, Barbera and Dolcetto wines.
Tragically, winemaker Renato Vacca died in March last year after a yearlong battle with cancer. The 2016 vintage, just bottled, is supposed to be superb.
For now, though, the Ovello from the less lauded 2012 vintage. This is a knockout wine, still young, and with great promise. The nose is very exotic, quite heady & oaky even after a two hour decant, but opened up as the evening progressed, to give gorgeous aromas of macerated cherry, blackberry preserve, cinnamon, cedar and old leather. It screams Nebbiolo, and it’s the first Nebb I’ve had in a year or so.
The palate is very concentrated, with ripe and intense flavours of cranberry, dried cherry, cured meat and tobacco leaf. There is great tension and energy through the mouth, which only this village - or its neighbour - can achieve. The finish is long and impressive. A seductive, ageworthy wine.
94+
It’s that juicy cherry juice inside a chocolate covered cherry. Little bit of black licorice. Fresh roses.
It’s that juicy cherry juice inside a chocolate covered cherry. Little bit of black licorice. Fresh roses.
Jan 28th, 2020
Extremely dark and dense, shockingly so for a Barbaresco. Maybe the Ovello effect, or is it the vintage? In any case, the better drinking window is years away and should be fantastic.
Extremely dark and dense, shockingly so for a Barbaresco. Maybe the Ovello effect, or is it the vintage? In any case, the better drinking window is years away and should be fantastic.
May 27th, 2019
Ripe fruits, hint of caramel, balanced complexity, live this
Ripe fruits, hint of caramel, balanced complexity, live this
Mar 10th, 2019
Big, well balanced. Tannic but showing well now
Big, well balanced. Tannic but showing well now
May 6th, 2017
Complexity! Like the regular Barberesco but at next level. Still young. Gordons tasting #8
Feb 25th, 2016
Jens had this 5 years ago
Jens had this 5 years ago
Oct 28th, 2019