Either way you look at it, 2018 was not really a Riserva vintage in Piedmont’s Barbaresco DOCG. There was the spring frost, the hail on 17 July, then a good deal of rain on top of the warm climate. These challenges beset producers desperate for a large harvest after the drought-like 2017 vintage.
The hot weather allied to the rainfall should have been perfect for higher yields in 2018, but instead it resulted in dilute wines in the worst examples, and a light, graceful Barbaresco for more immediate drinking in the best.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 11 recommended Barbaresco Riserva 2018 wines
{"content":"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"}
Barbaresco Riserva 2018 recommendations
{}
{"wineId":"68673","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68674","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68675","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68676","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68677","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68678","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68679","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68680","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68681","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68682","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"68683","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
Related articles