BARBERA D'ALBA

2011 Pairolero Sottimano

Grapes Barbera
Colour Red
Origin Italy, Piedmont
ABV 14%
Vineyard Pairolero

Sottimano's Barbera d'Alba is quite a serious wine, richly textured, ripe and very precise with lots of pure fruit, rich tannins and minerality on the long finish. Given eighteen months in Francois Freres 'barriques', of which twenty percent are new, the oak is beautifully taut on the finish. L&S (May 2013)


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The dark fruit that assails the nostrils has something of the loganberry about it and the concentration of berry and dark cherry fruit lingers elegantly on the tongue with a seductive, subtle oak caress that's defined and focused by the trademark fresh acidity of the Barbera grape in its natural Piedmontese habitat. Rating: 90 The Wine Gang - www.thewinegang.com (Oct 2014)

Good deep, bright red-ruby. Riper on the nose than the 2010 version, offering scents of black cherry and chocolate. Thicker and richer in the mouth, showing sound balancing acidity but conveying a higher impression of alcohol. A plush mouthful of barbera fruit with lovely length. Rating: 90 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Nov 2013)

Sottimano's 2011 Barbera d'Alba Pairolero flows across the palate with dark red cherries, plums and cloves. A decidedly medium-bodied, graceful wine, the 2011 is one of the more polished wines in a year in which so many Barberas are on the bombastic side. Fine, silky tannins support the finish. This is a terrific showing. Rating: 90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Nov 2013)

Sottimano

The next generation of Andrea, Elena and Claudia Sottimano are now at the helm here and this exquisite estate continues to make better and better wines - some of the finest in Barbaresco. This sixteen hectare estate is based in the Cotta' region of Barbaresco, and the Sottimano family have over the years bought outstanding vineyards in the 'crus' of Currà, Cottà, Fausoni, Pajore and Basarin. In the vineyard they work organically and aim to limit yields. The winemaking is as low-intervention as possible, using only natural yeasts and then bottling without filtering or fining. All of these 'crus' are given exactly the same élevage, so as to allow the individual 'terroirs' to express their character. Terroir expression is the target here - and these amazing wines are as much an education as a joy to drink.

There are five different crus - each with very specific attributes where they produce their distinctly different Barbarescos. The latest edition is Basarin, with a mixture of clay, limestone and sand, is at about four hundred metres above sea level. This produces the estate's Langhe Nebbiolo, which is basically 'village Barbaresco', as the vines are very young (10-15 years old). It makes for wines that are always very elegant, refined, tannins are silky and softer, nuanced of spices and herbs (eucalyptus).

Fausoni, on sand and clay, makes wines that are always very elegant - mint, liquorice and little red fruits. This is in the historical part of Neive.

Currà, on clay and limestone, is one of the smallest cru of the whole appellation, wines are always very intense and powerful, hard-bodied and with good tannins. Hints of spices and smoke are characteristics of this area.

Cottà, on limestone with clay is one of the oldest cru in Barbaresco, vines are always very old here (fifty years and older) and the colours are just a little bit lighter than other vineyards (because of the clay), but they have a very distinctive nose of dark fruits and mint, a great elegance and mineral tannins.

Pajore is almost entirely on limestone with just a little clay. This is the highest vineyard of all, at 420 metres above sea level. The vines are very old, and it is always the most mineral and elegant of the four Barbarescos. Limestone brings into the wine a great purity of fruit, a distinctive aroma of spices and tobacco (cigar box) and a very unusual quality of tannins, firm but very mineral.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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