2014 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota, Piedmont

The 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is beautifully polished and bright, with dark berry fruit, ripe cherry, crushed stone and pressed flowers. The wine is compact and firm, and you feel the tannins and power in the mouth. The Muncagota remains slightly more closed in terms of the bouquet, but this will open up with some time.

94 points Monica Larner robertparker.com Drink 2012-2045

The 2014 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is a haunting and quietly powerful expression of one of Barbaresco’s most historic crus. Muncagota sits on the western side of the appellation, close to the town of Barbaresco itself, with steep slopes of calcareous marl that give Nebbiolo both perfume and finely etched structure. It is a site known for elegance and depth rather than brute force.

Produttori del Barbaresco is one of Piedmont’s great institutions, a cooperative of small growers founded in 1958, united by the belief that great vineyards deserve to be bottled separately and celebrated. Their single cru Riservas are only made in the best vintages, with fruit selected from the finest parcels and aged longer to allow the wines to express both site and time.

The 2014 vintage was cooler and more classical, favouring aromatic detail, freshness and finesse. In Muncagota, that translated into a wine of beautiful poise. The glass shows rose petal, sour cherry and wild strawberry, layered with anise, dried herbs, tobacco and subtle earthy notes. The palate is finely structured, with bright acidity and silky, persistent tannins carrying the wine through a long, savoury finish.

This is a wine made for the table. Braised beef, veal, mushroom dishes, truffle pasta or aged cheeses all bring out its complexity and elegance. It is a wine that evolves beautifully over the course of a meal.

The 2014 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is drinking well now with decanting, but it will continue to develop over another twenty to thirty years, gaining more truffle, leather and savoury nuance as it ages. It is a classic Barbaresco that captures both the soul of Muncagota and the quiet mastery of the Produttori.