The Long-Awaited Cru Riservas of the 2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO

The long-awaited 2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Riservas are here!  This much-heralded vintage is a benchmark for these wines as well as many wines from Barbaresco and Barolo.  The nine cru Riservas have not been bottled since the 2001 harvest – none were produced from 2002 or 2003.  In the meantime, the Produttori has been gaining acclaim of their own as a prime source for top-quality Nebbiolo and Barbaresco that represent exceptional value.

VINTAGES is proud of our long-time association with the Produttori del Barbaresco and its wine director Aldo Vacca. Through tastings, wine dinners, seminars and even the Nantucket Wine Festival, VINTAGES has offered many meaningful opportunities for our customers to experience and understand the great wine traditions of Piedmont and Barbaresco, and how a quality cooperative with nine top vineyard sites can offer some of the most age-worthy examples of these wines. The true beauty of the Produttori wines is that vineyard and vintage shine clearly through – the astounding achievements of nature and nebbiolo in a great vintage are never muddled by a heavy hand in the cellar.

VINTAGES is taking orders for these wines on a first-come, first-served basis. Following are reviews from the Wine Advocate. Many of you already have favorite Barbaresco vineyards that you collect for cellaring, and likely have a better appreciation of “your” cru than any wine reviewer possibly could. It’s an adventure for all!

Please note: VINTAGES quantity discounts will apply to these prices.

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “MONTEFICO” $68 – VINTAGES EXCLUSIVE!
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is another of the larger-scaled wines in this lineup. It reveals a profile of ripe red fruits, spices and menthol wrapped into a seamless yet structured frame. This Barbaresco doesn’t quite have the level of profoundness of the finest wines in this vintage, but it comes awfully close. Shades of Bruno Giacosa’s 1971 Barbaresco Montefico linger on the long and immensely satisfying finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. 93 pts.” –WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “PAJE” $68 – VINTAGES Exclusive!
The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Paje achieves a remarkable marriage of elegance and power. It’s all here as this vibrant, pure Barbaresco engages the intellectual and pleasure-seeking senses with an endless array of dark cherries, menthol, licorice, spices and espresso. This wonderfully complete, full-bodied Barbaresco needs some time for the tannins to settle down, but it is truly a special wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. 94 pts.” –WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “ASILI” $68
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Asili conveys an impression of sheer luxuriousness as it coats the palate with waves of ripe fruit that nearly manage to cover the wine’s tannins. Generous and expansive on the palate, the wine reveals tons of depth and richness, with a long, satisfying finish. This remains a vibrant, pure Barbaresco in need of cellaring, yet readers who want to take this bottling out for a test drive won’t be disappointed, but beware, the wine shut down quickly in the glass. Simply put, this is sublime stuff. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2024. 94 pts.” -WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “MOCCAGATTA” $68
The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta suffers only by virtue of being placed among this group of phenomenal wines; most producers would be delighted to have this as their top Barbaresco. As is often the case, the Moccagatta is a relatively accessible, forward wine, but like the Rio Sordo, it has an unusual level of plumpness and inner sweetness that makes up for any complexity that may be missing. Sweet spices, plums, prunes and espresso are just some of the nuances to be found in this compelling wine. The Moccagatta should be one of the more accessible Riservas early on. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. 92 pts.” –WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “MONTESTEFANO” $68
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the more reticent wines in this lineup of 2004 Riservas. Its vibrant, fresh color is followed by notes of violets, roses, black cherries, menthol, smoke and licorice. The wine possesses tons of structure and sheer muscle behind the fruit, suggesting this will be an especially long-lived Barbaresco. In recent vintages I haven’t been the biggest fan of the Montestefano, but this superb 2004 is impossible to resist. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. 93 pts.“-WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “OVELLO” $68
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is deep, dense and incredibly primary. Although the wine clearly possesses remarkable stuffing, there is very little tertiary development here. With air, suggestions of menthol, pine, spices and licorice gradually emerge, but this remains a wine in need of serious bottle age. Lingering notes of sweetness resonate on the long finish. This austere, but beautiful Barbaresco is destined to develop beautifully in bottle and should offer glorious drinking down the road. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. 93 pts.” -WA

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “PORA” $68
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a dense, chewy offering loaded with ripe red cherries, licorice, tar and sweet wild herbs. The wine’s sheer concentration and power are impressive but today the tannins seem to lack the extra level of elegance that characterizes the best wines in this vintage. Despite its slightly rustic personality, this medium to full-bodied Barbaresco delivers plenty of drinking pleasure in an intense style. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. 91 pts.”

2004 PRODUTTORI del BARBARESCO “RIO SORDO” $68
“The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is one of the better versions of this wine I can remember. There is considerable depth and richness in the fruit here as this sweet, layered Barbaresco opens up in the glass. The typical spiced, floral Rio Sordo notes are amply present in the wine, but in 2004 there is an additional level of concentration and richness that has eluded previous vintages. This is a beautiful Rio Sordo from the Produttori. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. 92 pts.”-WA

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