Scarpa Barbaresco Tettineive | 2019

Regarded as a timeless classic in Piedmont, it's a treat when our Scarpa allocation arrives. Scarpa has been producing traditional wines in the Monferrato region since 1854, but it was Mario Pesce who elevated the estate's reputation in the second half of the 20th century. The style is traditional, but not rustic. These are elegant wines that give a ton of pleasure in their youth but also have plenty of skintight acidity and tannin for aging gracefully. Because Scarpa is a founding member of the Barolo and Barbaresco Consortiums, they are one of the few grandfathered producers allowed to transport grapes and bottle wine outside of the DOCG limitation.  

Tettineive means "The Roofs of Neive." It's a vineyard near the Cottà cru, with an impressive elevation of 400 meters, looking over the nearby village of Neive. A long 20-plus day fermentation takes place in conical wooden vats. The wine is aged in large (45HL) French Allier oak casks then spends another year in bottle before release. In the glass the wine is lively with cherries, sweet fennel, cigar spices, balsamic and rose. On the palate, the tannins feel more Pinot-like, than Nebbiolo-like, long, lean, but sneakily strong. Purely charming and almost too easy to drink, Scarpa Barbaresco is pitch-perfect Piedmont. ~Allegra A