Cascina Baricchi Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse 2016 1.5 Liter MAGNUM

Vinous 94 Points | The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is a fine follow up to the stellar 2015. A bit more austere than its older sibling, the 2016 presents a distinctly savory profile redolent of crushed flowers, herbs, mint, spice, leather and tobacco, while the fruit is pushed into the background. Naturally, it will be interesting to see if some of that inner sweetness emerges in time. A few months separating two tastings suggest that may very well happen. This is such a gorgeous wine. 

The Rose delle Casasse is likely, the only Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo Rose. Some believe Nebbiolo Rose to be a clone of Nebbiolo though in Ian d'Agata's book, "The Grapes of Italy," he writes that it has been proven that Nebbiolo Rose is genetically different than Nebbiolo, though related.

Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. 

The hills on which Cascina Baricchi stands are formed by a background of light earth, ideal for the production of high quality wines and for aging. The ideal terroir is completed by the conformation of the morphology of the hills which creates a truly unique microclimate; in particular the vineyards face south so as to be kissed by the sun for most of the day and undergo high temperature changes during the night which allow to obtain wines with elegant aromas and perfect maturity of the tannins. 

The company's approach is absolutely respectful of the environment, in fact it prefers to intervene as little as possible, and always in a natural way, to help the plant when it really needs it and make it grow strong; same basic ideology in the cellar, where fermentations are spontaneous. Winemaker Description.