In the village of Barbaresco, a 15 minute drive from the Barolo region, Nebbiolo takes on a more elegant of soft character that tends to be easier to drink in its youth. It is due to this it is referred by many to be the Queen of Piedmont, where Barolo is the king. There are so many outstanding small producers in this area and most make delicious Nebbiolo. One of these small producers is Cascina Longoria, within the small village of Neive around the corner (literally) from the actual village of Barbaresco. The quality of this wine for the price is unbelievable here.

Cascina Longoria is a small bed & breakfast and wine farm, owned and operated by two brothers.  The entire property is dedicated to farming organically, and without any heavy handed technology in the vineyard or cellar.  This approach extends to the wines, themselves, which are pure, unpretentious, and reliably delicious.  

Fruit is harvested by hand, destemmed, and fermented in large ceramic tanks.  Skin contact is limited to avoid over-extraction of tannin, and the juice is gently pressed into large, used oak barrels where it rests for two years. Finally, the wine is bottled and then aged an additional year before release.

This Nebbiolo is a classic expression of Barbaresco from the 2008 vintage. The color is a light ruby moving to a garnet and orange rim. Aromatics are driven by sour cherry, red plum, red currant, fennel, dried rose petals, underbrush and crushed white chalk. The palate is rich with fruit and very round, typical of the 2008 vintage, and tannins are soft velvet like. Remember, this is still Nebbiolo, one of the more tannic grapes of the world, so food is highly recommended. Try braised oxtail pappardelle pasta and you will be in a good place. Ideally decant for 1 hour and consume at roughly 60-65 degrees out of a Burgundy style glass.