Location and landscape
Barbaresco is a municipality covering 7.76 km² in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont. It lies in the lower Langhe and includes slopes, ridge roads, the Rocche di Barbaresco area, as well as flatter areas along the Tanaro. The municipality is situated at an average altitude of 274 metres above sea level and borders Alba, Treiso, Neive, Castagnito and Guarene.
Viticulture
In Barbaresco DOCG, the vineyard plots must be located on slopes; valley bottoms, damp, flat, insufficiently sunlit and north-facing sites are excluded. The soils are clayey, calcareous or a combination of both types of soil. The vineyard plots may be at most 550 metres above sea level. For newly registered or replanted vineyards, a minimum of 3,500 vines per hectare applies; as a traditional training system, trellising with Guyot pruning is prescribed.
Barbaresco DOCG
Barbaresco DOCG is produced exclusively from Nebbiolo; the most important local clones mentioned are Michet, Lampia and Rosé. The standard yield is at most 8 tonnes per hectare; the grapes must have at least 12.00% by volume of natural alcohol. The finished red wine must contain at least 12.5% by volume of alcohol. It is described as garnet-red with orange-coloured highlights and is characterised as dry, full-bodied, fine, velvety and appropriately tannin-rich. The minimum ageing period is 26 months, of which at least nine months in wood; for Barbaresco Riserva, 50 months of cellar ageing are required.
History and designation
The designation Barbaresco was recognised in 1966 as DOC and in 1980 as DOCG. The DOCG area includes the entire municipality of Barbaresco and also Neive, Treiso and the designated area of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio of the municipality of Alba. Additional geographical details for Barbaresco have been used since 2007. The municipality was founded on 31 December 1798; Treiso, previously a hamlet of Barbaresco, became independent after a referendum in 1957.
