It will not be easy to bring wine lovers together to talk about the 2018 vintage in Barbaresco.
There were several objective challenges throughout the growing season, not without some extremes. But there is undoubtedly a certain appeal to these wines, which are less extracted than usual.
‘In the 1970s, Barbaresco shined for “less”: less concentration, less structure, less expensive,’ quips Angelo Gaja. ‘Today, things have changed,’ he concludes. Well, that’s not quite true in the 2018 vintage – a return to the “less” character in this cool, damp and fresh vintage.
It’s deserving of four stars but should be intended for short-term drinking rather than long cellaring.
Scroll down to see Aldo’s top-scoring Barbaresco 2018 wines
The 2018 vintage
The 2018 vintage started with a long winter with plentiful rainfall, restoring the soil’s water supply which had diminished due to the dry 2017 season.
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WphLiAmIzgyMTY7SXQgd2FzIGEgY2xhc3NpYyB2aW50YWdlLCBzaW1pbGFyIHRvIDE5OTEgb3IgMTk5MyzigJkgc2hlIGNvbnRpbnVlZC48L3A+CjxwPlRoZSBtb3JlIHN0cnVjdHVyZWQgTUdBcyBzdWNoIGFzIEFzaWxpIG9yIFJhYmFqw6AgaW4gQmFyYmFyZXNjbywgaG93ZXZlciwgcGVyZm9ybWVkIHF1aXRlIHdlbGwuPC9wPgo8cD5JZiBJIG11c3QgYWRtaXQgbXkgcHJlZmVyZW5jZSwgSSB3b3VsZCBiZXQgb24gdGhlc2UgTUdBcyBvdmVyIHRpbWUsIGJ1dCBmb3Igbm93IEnigJltIGRyaW5raW5nIHRoZSBibGVuZHMuPC9wPgo8cD4K"}
Aldo’s top Barbaresco 2018 wines:
{}
{"wineId":"49279","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49280","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49278","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49281","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49282","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49283","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49296","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49294","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49295","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49298","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49300","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"49313","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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