Nebbiolo – Barbaresco 2007s and 2005 Riservas

The commune of Barbaresco, which was the focus of day one and much of the morning of day two of the four-day Nebbiolo Prima tastings in Piemonte has traditionally been described as more feminine and lighter than its more famous neighbour, Barolo. This is reflected by its regulations, which are less restrictive than those for Barolo, demanding a lower alcoholic content of 12.5% compared with the minimum of 13% for Barolo and, tellingly, slightly less extract (22 g/l compared with 23 g/l). In reality, the wines are rarely under 13.5% and more often than not easily reach 14% without jeopardising...