Barbaresco 'Basarin'

Score

94

"Straightforward, perfumed, easygoing and very clean, this delivers the tell-tale aromatic nuances of the Kerner variety with precision. Drinking window: now-2023."

Score

93

"The Sottimano family produce four Barbaresco single-vineyard wines - Basarin in Neive being a new addition from the 2014 vintage. The wines are aged in barriques, but the proportion of new oak has been severely reduced in recent years. This is no blockbuster, and the lean, precise raspberry nose shows elegance rather than power. A stylish wine, it's fresh and fluid with refined tannins and no overt extraction, showing charm and lift on the long finish."

Score

96

"Focused and full bodied, this has aromas of underbrush, eucalyptus, crushed botanical herb and wild rose. The chiseled palate delivers tension, structure and finesse, featuring cranberry, pomegranate, licorice and tobacco framed in tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. Youthfully nervous acidity gives it balance and an ageworthy structure. Drink 2024–2036."

Score

96

"The Basarin vineyard was badly damaged by hail in April 2017, but we have this beautiful vintage to focus on instead. The Sottimano 2016 Barbaresco Basarin is a contained and elegant expression with sharp intensity and defined aromas. You get wild fruit, spice, balsam herb and crushed mineral, all pretty much in equal measure. The wine flexes its muscle, adding volume and weight with each swirl of the glass. It shows energy and fluid movements. Sottimano farms a three-hectare plot in Basarin, in Neive but near the border with Treiso, with 50- to 60-year-old vines. Some 5,000 bottles were made. There is a wholeness to this vintage that you don't get in 2017."

Score

94

"The 2016 Barbaresco Basarin is bold, rich and expansive on the palate, with striking depth and tons of textural resonance. The dark, spiced flavors are typical of Barbarescos from Neive. Creamy, silky and inviting, the Basarin offers tremendous near and medium term appeal. More importantly, the 2016 is several notches more interesting than the 2015."

Score

96

"Shows more plushness and opulence than many Barbarescos. Incredibly floral, with lavish red fruits and fine tannins. Great length. From 70-year-old vines."

Score

93

"Violet, pipe tobacco, woodland berry and sandalwood aromas form an enticing bouquet. It's linear and radiant, delivering cranberry, red cherry, cake spice, star anise and chopped herb. Firm, fine-grained tannins provide the framework. Drink 2023–2030. "

Score

91

"Here's a cru expression from Sottimano that has never crossed my radar before. The 2015 Barbaresco Basarin (with fruit from Neive) is a beautifully executed wine. Specifically, the wine maintains its deep inner elegance despite the heat of the vintage that is so apparent in many other wines made nearby. This is a polished and glossy expression with dark fruit flavors at the core. My only dislike is the quality of the tannins, which feel rough and loose in texture. Only 3,000 bottles were made."

Score

91

"The 2015 Barbaresco Basarin makes its first appearance as a Barbaresco after a number of vintages in which it was bottled as Langhe Nebbiolo. The 2015 is a very pretty wine with lifted aromatics and attractive, sculpted red-toned fruit. Medium in body and gracious, the 2015 shows well today. The tannins are slightly drying on the finish, but that is a relatively small critique given how delicious the wine is."