Barbaresco 'Bric Balin'

Score

91

"Bric Balin is a 2.4-hectare site within the Muncagota cru with gray marl and calcareous soils at an ideal 260 to 300 meters above sea level. The Moccagatta 2017 Barbaresco Bric Balin brings extra intensity and concentration with dark fruit, spice, tilled earth and campfire ash. The wine sees a standard 18 months in barrique, and this too results in the added power you perceive. The tannins (both from the oak and the fruit in this hot vintage) are a touch astringent. Some 13,000 bottles were made."

Score

94

"Lots of ripe berries, such as strawberries, with cedar and violet undertones on the nose. Full-bodied with a solid core of ripe fruit, round tannins and a fruity finish. But it’s never overdone or out of balance. A beauty for the vintage. Drink after 2022."

Score

89+

"Moccagatta's 2017 Barbaresco Bric Balin is another pretty Barbaresco from Moccagatta. Here, to, the challenges of the growing season are impossible to miss in the drying tannins and oak influence, which are especially evident because of the wine's mid-weight structure. Dark cherry, plum, hard candy, spice and coffee notes all develop. The finish is a bit attenuated today, and the stress of a growing season marked by intense heat is evident, but the wine has also just been bottled, so let's see what happens."

Score

91

"Good full medium red. Slightly reduced aromas of strawberry, rose petal and herbs, plus a hint of flint. smoky minerality and a whiff of game. Fresh and juicy, with a restrained sweetness but a nicely suave texture. Finishes with a slightly wild nuance and outstanding persistence and grip. Drinking window: 2025-2038"

Score

91

"This is a private vineyard site registered to Moccagatta. The 2016 Barbaresco Bric Balin shows ripe fruit intensity with dark layers of cherry, dark blackberry and spice. This wine is more dry and subdued in terms of aromas with less of the baby fat and spice that you get in the other wines. The effect is dry and streamlined. This is a great bottle to open soon with pumpkin risotto. Production for this wine is the largest, with 14,000 bottles made."

Score

95

"The 2016 Barbaresco Bric Balin is a prototypical Moccagatta wine built on texture, power and resonance. Black cherry and plum fruit show the interplay of ripeness and bright acids that is such a signature of the vintage. Vertical in feel and yet also incredibly persistent, the Bric Balin is a wonderfully complete wine. This rich, super-concentrated Barbaresco is going to need time to shed some of its baby fat, but it is super impressive, even in the early going."

Score

93

"Warm tones of spice and toast greet the nose, while cherry, plum, licorice and vanilla notes ply the palate. Vibrant and balanced, with a long, green olive- and spice-filled aftertaste. All the elements are in the right proportions, but patience is required. Best from 2022 through 2036. 1,250 cases made."

Score

94

"A powerful, driven wine, the 2014 Barbaresco Bric Balin is unusually austere in this vintage, although it possesses superb length and overall persistence. Beams of tannin give the 2014 much of its forbidding personality, and yet there is a level of energy and tension that is compelling. Dark red stone fruit, sweet tobacco, cedar and menthol infuse the huge finish. I can't wait to taste this with a little more time in bottle."

Score

93

"The 2012 Barbaresco Bric Balin shows a level of austerity and sophistication that you don't get in Moccagatta's other wines this vintage. The wine boasts a bold, masculine style that is reinforced by lush cherry, sweet oak, spice and grilled herb. The wine's consistency is dark and brooding. But that darkness never goes over the top. The best thing about Barbaresco Bric Balin is the lively impression it leaves in the mouth."

Score

92

"The core cherry flavors are accented by licorice, leather and sweet spice notes, allied to a dense matrix of tannins. Shows fine potential, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit and spice. Best from 2018 through 2027. 1,250 cases made."

Score

95

"A soft and velvety textured red with licorice, tar and berry character. Full body. Lots of ripe fruit and intensity. Gorgeous and sexy Barbaresco. Drink now or hold."

Score

91+

"The 2012 Barbaresco Bric Balin comes across as a bit more nervous and lean than it has in the recent past, with less of its customary near-term appeal. Bright red cherry, cranberry and white pepper notes add brightness, but the 2012 appears to have shut down post-bottling. That is probably a good thing for the long-term. The 2012 needs at least a few years in bottle, so readers will have to be patient with the Bric Balin."