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Cantina del Pino "Ovello" Barbaresco DOCG, 2017

$325.00
Cantina del Pino "Ovello" Barbaresco DOCG, 2017

Cantina del Pino "Ovello" Barbaresco DOCG, 2017

$325.00
description

This is one of my favorite wines on the planet.  Favorite.  It really can be your birthday everyday; if you treat yourself to this sort of high level drink, it's just about as close to heaven in a glass as I've tasted.

From June 2021 Reviews in the Wine Advocate by Monica Larner:

“Considering the untimely passing of Renato Vacca in March of 2020, there is a lot of emotion coming back to this wine: It has always been an expression of Barbaresco nostalgia and romanticism, even when its creator was alive and well, working in these vines located directly under his family house. The Cantina del Pino 2017 Barbaresco Ovello bears his winemaking imprint with balance and elegance that never misses a beat. This vintage offers more density and concentration for sure, and the positioning of the Ovello cru overlooking the Tanaro River Valley sets the wine up for open-knit characteristics and suave softness. Those impressions are amplified in this vintage but are not overblown. Some 6,000 bottles were released and you get terrific value in this bottle. The wine is set to hit the market in September 2021.” 94+ Points, Wine Advocate June 2021 

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The Vacca family is steeped in the history of Barbaresco. If you cut one of them, (accidentally of course) I’d expect wine to run from their veins as much as blood. Renato and his father Adriano decided to leave the Produttori del Barbaresco two decades ago, an organization that

Adriano co-founded in 1958 with his brother Celestino. I imagine at the time it was a difficult decision, as the family was instrumental in the creation of the Produttori, just as they were instrumental in the very creation of the appellation now world famous as Barbaresco. The very first bottling named Barbaresco came from their vineyard “Ovello”. But it was a wise move as we can now see, in that they have created one of the greatest estates in the zone or all of Piemonte for that matter. One that has quickly reached levels of critical acclaim that one would expect that could only be achieved over generations. But then again, they have been doing it that long, just under different names.

All Barbareschi from CdP undergo extended submerged cap fermentations with indigenous yeast , (unless, as is sometimes the case in warmer years, it does not start fast enough.) post fermentation macerations that keep the wine and skins together for at least 30 days and then they are moved to large (25-30 HL) Botte for two years plus in the case of the Classico bottling and longer (30 months) for crus. After 6-12 months in bottle the wines are released.

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Some recent Vinous quotes from years past:

 “Readers who haven’t discovered Cantina del Pino yet owe it to themselves to do so. Proprietor Renato Vacca is making some of the most compelling wines in Piedmont today.”

“This range from Cantina del Pino and proprietor Renato Vacca is one of the most impressive I tasted this year. Every wine from this small cellar in the center of Barbaresco is fabulous. I can’t say enough good things about Cantina del Pino. I never turn down a chance to drink these wines, as they are exceptional.”

“My visit with proprietor Renato Vacca was illuminating, as we toured several vineyards during the 2009 harvest and tasted through a number of wines. This year, Vacca has a new Barbaresco from the Albesani vineyard – and it is a knockout. Despite all of his recent success Vacca remains humble and down to earth, qualities that should serve him very well for the future. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these wines, the Barbarescos in particular.”