7 Things You Should Know About Piedmont’s Barolos And Barbaresco Wines!

Called "the King and Queen of wines", the Barolos and Barbaresco wines certainly have a name to live up to. Barolo and Barbaresco are two wine regions located in northwestern Italy’s Piedmont, and are both renowned for producing distinctive reds made from the Nebbiolo grape variety, albeit each with their own unique spin. 

With a reputation that precedes them, these Italian wine regions are the often regarded champions of their craft. And today, we'll give you the quick run down on why that is exactly, then let you decide for yourself, if you ever get your hands on the Italy's King and Queen of Wines! 

1. Wines from both the  Barolos and Barbaresco regions use the Nebbiolo grape variety, a lesser heard-of red wine grape.

Nebbiolo is a grape variety that thrives in cooler climates, producing wines known for their complexity and age-ability. Thin-skinned and late-ripening, it demands meticulous care from growers if they want to retain a good balance between crop success and flavor.

Young wines are known for acidity and juicy red fruits like cherries and strawberries, with complexity from floral notes, cedar, clove, mushroom and fig. But time unveils Nebbiolo's true magic. As it matures, captivating aromas of rose, tar, earth, and even leather emerge, underlaid by firm tannins and warming levels of alcohol.

This varietal has a great longevity, and it is said that wines made can continue to improve in the bottle for upward of 30 years.

2. Why are they called the King and Queen of wines?

Let's start with the grape used: Nebbiolo. Of the many suggestions of how it got its name, one theory maintains that the name is derived from the Italian word “nobile,” meaning noble. 

More grounded in fact is that Barolo is often described as the "King" due to its full-bodied structure that is dense, tannic, and has impressive aging potential. In a sense, it is a patient, majestic and "muscular" expression of the Nebbiolo.

Barbaresco, on the other hand, is considered the "Queen" for its elegance, finesse, and balance. It represents a more graceful, fruity and refined expression of the grape that is more suited to immediate drinking, and needs no patience for aging to full appreciate.

3. If both use the Nebbiolo grape, then causes the differences between Barolos and Barbaresco wines?

Despite being seperated by just one town, differences in the terrior of the two regions have resulted in considerable difference in the flavors of Barolo And Barbaresco Wines. (Image source: Barolo Wine Tours)

Despite being seperated by just one town, the two regions produce wines that can vary a fair bit in terms of their flavor.  And the reason is because of a little something we call terroir (pronounced tehr-WAHR) which refers to the unique characteristics of the surrounding environment that the crop grows in, which affects its flavor and aroma.

Despite the two appellations being so close, the Nebbiolo grape responds differently to the terroir of Barolo and Barbaresco. Both Barolo and Barbaresco also share a base of calcareous marl, a fancy way of saying lime-rich clay. But within this shared foundation, key differences emerge.

Barbaresco's high-altitude leads to shorter ripening periods and fermentations. It's nutrient-rich and sandy marl also results in lower tannin levels in its wines. (Image source: Wine Searcher)

Barbaresco lies closer to the Ligurian sea and nearby Tanaro River, and is nearly 50m higher than Barolo. This proximity to the sea and higher altitude means that Barbaresco's grapes have a shorter ripening period than in Barolo. Earlier ripening means an earlier harvest, and the proceeding fermentation happens earlier, causing an overall shorter winemaking process. Barbaresco also boasts a more uniform soil profile. Its marl tends to be more nutrient-rich, resulting in less aggressive tannins compared to some Barolos.

The Barolo region tends to produce wines with higher tannins and acidity, with complexity and robustness. (Image source: Wine Searcher)

On the other hand, Barolo's larger zone offers a wider range of soil types. Some areas are sandier and less fertile, leading to wines that generally have more tannins and acidity and are more robust and forceful.

Additionally, there's also differences in aging times. Due to DOC regulations, Barbaresco requires an aging period of 48 months and Barolo of 62 months. 

4. Often called Italy's Wine Twins, the Barolo and Barbaresco regions are located in the mountainous Langhe area, seperated by the city of Alba.

The Barolo and Barbaresco regions are located in the mountainous Langhe area south of the Tanaro River in the heart of Piedmont. Flanking the sides of the city of Alba, the medieval histories of these areas are considered to be historically significant portions of Spain. 

Interestingly, there is an organizations working to protect the territory's wines from outside cultural "contamination". Called the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani (Now say that five times, fast), they maintain the need to upkeep the cultural and viticultural aspects of the area , especially since the modern age has bought great amounts of foreign investment.

5. Barbaresco initially started out as a region that cultivated grapes, which were supplied to Barolo for use in their wines. But it was during the 1900s that it started cultivating a winemaking reputation for itself. 

Prior to 1894, Barbaresco was known for its grapes, but not its wines. Much of the grapes grown in the area were bought by Barolo to use in their wines. The latter had long been making wine since the 1800s.

One Domizio Cavazza came to develop a passion for Barbaresco, which led to his purchase of a farm and a vineyard in 1886. The young agronomist cultivated its vineyard with Nebbiolo and banded together with a group of nine growers to found the Cantina Sociale, which later evolved to become known as Produttori del Barbaresco. Taking it a step further, they started outfitting themselves with winemaking equipment in order to produce what are considered the first wines to be officially called Barbaresco. 

The Produttori del Barbaresco came to be under the vision of Domizio Cavazza, and today, consists of over consisting of 54 growers and 250 acres of vineyards across the Barbaresco regions. (Image source: wordonthegrapevine)

Wines from the region became less popular, however, with the death of Cavazza and onset of World War II. Oddly enough, wines from the Barolos region did not quite get as affected, possibly due to their older heritage. In the 1900s, it was the Gaja and Giacosa families who put Barbaresco on the map again, marketing their product internationally to a degree of acclaim.

6. There is a "Barolo War" that wages on to this day.

The Barolo Wars refer to a significant period of upheaval in the winemaking practices of the Barolo region in the 1980s. The conflict pitted traditionalists against modernists, each with their own vision for the future of Barolo.

To understand this "War", one must understand the tricky Nebbiolo grape variety that the reason uses. One main issue: The high acidity and tannin levels of the grape. One on its own is manageable on the palate, two is a little much.

However, with time in the cellar such aspects are balanced out. As such, traditionalists such as Roberto Conterno (proprietor-winemaker of the iconic Giacomo Conterno Winery) championed classic methods, including large oak barrels, long maceration times of up to 30 days, and extended aging, resulting in powerful, structured wines.

"Barolo Boys" was a documentary by Paolo Casalis and Tiziano Gaia that told the story of a young group of winemakers, including the likes of Elio Altare (who's own father disowned him for his experimentations with wine making), who sought to innovate for changes to the way Barolo wines were produced.

On the other hand, you had the modernists, advocating for smaller barrels, shorter maceration, and temperature control, aiming for more approachable and fruit-forward styles. Striving to produce wines that are ready to drink at an earlier stage, modernists are reducing fermentation periods (as little as a week) with better temperature control and aging wines in smaller barrels. In general, you get wines that are at their peak after 5 - 7 years, and need not be tucked away for 50 years like many of the old Barolos. Things picked up for the modernists in the early 1980s when a group of young producers formed a front. These included producers like Elio Altare, Luciano Sandrone, Domenico Clerico, and Scavino. 

While most producers are no longer solely in one camp or another, there is still a thinly-veiled argument by hardline proponents from both sides, and a clear "winner" has never really emerged.

7. The success of Barolo And Barbaresco Wines have spurred interest in cultivating the Nebbiolo Grape variety even in places like the USA and Australia.

Their reputation as the "King" and "Queen" of wines, combined with their historical prestige and impressive qualities, has no doubt given Nebbiolo more spotlight.

While other Nebbiolo wines exist, these two powerhouses have captured the attention of wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts, sparking interest in exploring the full potential of this noble grape variety.

While Nebbiolo might not be a household name, Barolo and Barbaresco have undoubtedly served as ambassadors, introducing Nebbiolo's complexity and aging potential to a wider audience.

There has even been a rise of Nebbiolo plantings in regions as far-flung as California, Australia, and Argentina, as winemakers seek to capture the magic of these iconic Italian wines in their own terroirs.

Bottom Line:

Despite being pretty much neighbors, both regions are masters of wine of their own right. Whether you prefer the "king" or the "queen" of wines, it is hard to deny that both regions have wonderfully complex terroirs that provide more than enough to entertain and discover for all Nebbiolo wine lovers out there (Or those fixing to try out more Nebbiolo wines).

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of coherence a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.