The past few months I have been spending a ton of time in Piedmont, not in Italy but rather tasting many of the great wines of its two most prominent regions, Barbaresco and Barolo.

While there are many great wine regions in Italy, few would argue that Barolo and Barbaresco are not among the best, but that has not always been the case. While wine and agriculture have been the basis of the local economy for centuries, the wines were not known outside of the region and were all consumed locally.

That started to change in the mid-19th Century when the railroad came to Piedmont, enabling the great wines of the region to be more easily transported beyond the immediate area. The region quickly became popular for its wines and by the mid-20th Century had gained the reputation as the best wines on the peninsula.

Thus, when the country’s wine regions began to be codified and regulated, Barolo and Barbaresco were the first two regions to be given DOC status (“Denominazione di Origine Controllata” or Controlled Designation of Origin) in 1966. A little over a decade later, the two regions were the first to receive DOCG status as well (“Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” or Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin.

So when I was offered to attend the Barolo and Barbaresco Academy (a guided sit-down tasting of 30 wines), I jumped at the chance to(I actually got in my car and drove downtown, but you get the idea).

The first three wines were from the broader “Langhe” DOC region, still 100% Nebbiolo, but outside of the defined Barbaresco and Barolo regions.

2021 Gianni Ramello Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $30. Medium color in the glass with bright cranberry and black pepper on nose. Plummy and delightful on the palate. Great acidity. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Germano Ettore Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $30. Screw top. 100% Nebbiolo. A bit lighter in color with more of a cherry fruit vibe on the nose. Lighter in fruit and style on the palate, this is fine but certainly on the thin side. Very Good. 88 Points.

2020 Gianfranco Bovio Langhe Nebbiolo Firagnetti, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $28. 100% Nebbiolo. Medium ruby color with more of a minty than fruity nose, which translates onto the palate with considerable brightness and some noticeable but silky tannins. Excellent. 90 Points.

We then moved on to several Barbarescos…

2022 Ca’ Moranda Barbaresco Ancermò, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $50. 100% Nebbiolo. Lovely ruby color. An intense nose–really minty with an interesting celery seed note but the fruit was difficult to come by. Light in fruit on the palate as well, but with fairly intense acidity and some chewy tannins. I really like it but there is not much fruit at all to be found. Very Good. 89 Points.

2021 Castello di Neive Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $70. 100% Nebbiolo. Rich, medium ruby color. Somewhat muted initially on the nose, but rich and inviting with some darker cherry and a perfumed note eventually coming through. Rich and fruity on the palate with incredible balance and a healthy dose of verve. Some grippy tannins on the lengthy finish suggest this will be around for a while and age gracefully. Whoa. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Cascina Vano Barbaresco Canova, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $60. 100% Nebbiolo. Medium to dark ruby in the glass but otherwise quite shy with some slight perfumed notes. It is more expressive on the palate, though, with some dried cherry and some really grippy tannins. Could use some time. Excellent. 91 Points.

2021 Francone Barbaresco Gallina, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $45(?). 100% Nebbiolo. There is not a ton of information available online about this wine, which is too bad. It’s pretty darned incredible. The medium to dark ruby wine is quite minty and floral, the major components of its pretty intense nose. Wonderful. Fruity and minty on the palate, too, it’s wonderfully balanced with a forrest floor vibe on the finish. Although noticeable, the integrated tannins add character and structure. Lovely. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Montaribaldi Barbaresco Sorì Montaribaldi, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $48. 100% Nebbiolo. Medium to dark in color with a cherry cola vibe going on for sure on the nose along with a hint of spice. Nutty and a bit stewed (in a good way) on the palate but also quite ripe and rich. An interesting juxtaposition of flavors and textures, and it works well. Excellent. 92 Points.

Master Sommelier Steven McDonald led us through the tasting.

2021 Cascina Morassino Barbaresco Ovello, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $88. 100% Nebbiolo. Medium ruby color in the glass and a bit reductive on the nose, funky and meaty perhaps. Fairly reserved on the palate with abundant acidity and aggressive tannins. Hopefully, this will come around with some time. Very Good. 88 Points.

2021 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabajà, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $165. 100% Nebbiolo. From one of the more sought after crus in Barbaresco, Rabajà. Rather light by comparison to the others in this lineup, just a few shades off from being confused with a rosé. Rich ripe fruit of fresh cherry on the nose. Great fruit on the palate as well with tons of cherry and plenty of tartness. Ripe tannins, silky and creamy. Lovely. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2015 Tenuta San Mauro Barbaresco Canova, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $65. 100% Nebbiolo. Clearly older with some bricking easily evident in the glass. The fruit on the nose is more stewed and even shows some anise. Garrigue and forrest floor a go-go on the palate with tons of dried fruit and a boatload of character. A glorious wine. Outstanding. 93 Points.