I’ve already written a lot of words about Barbaresco wines from the 2016 vintage, but—forgive me—expect a lot more to come. In current release are the 2015s from Barolo and the 2016s from Barbaresco, two sets of wines with so many winners among them it’ll be impossible to find the money or the space for everything we want.
But there was no way we were passing up this magnificent ’16 Barbaresco from the Piero Busso estate, whose “Albesani-Vigna Borgese” bottling is one of the most unique, historically significant, profoundly complex wines to be found in the region—in any vintage. “Vigna Borgese” is a small plot of Nebbiolo vines surrounding the Busso family home and cantina atop the acclaimed
cru vineyard called “Albesani.” It was planted, by hand, by Piero Busso’s father in 1948. It has a long track record of producing some of the most concentrated, deeply perfumed wines in the village of Neive, one of the three key towns that comprise the Barbaresco DOCG zone. And in a vintage that critic Antonio Galloni described as “stunning,” and “brilliant,” this wine is just that. It’s also a rarity, meaning we can only allow six bottles per customer until our allocation disappears. Don’t delay!
Imagine having the equivalent of a Grand Cru vineyard in your backyard. Such is the good fortune of the Busso family and many of their neighbors in Neive, where many of Barbaresco’s highest-elevation vineyards are located. In addition to their parcel surrounding their home atop the Albesani cru, the Bussos own vines in the “Gallina” and “Balluri” vineyards, also in Neive, and the “San Stunet” cru in neighboring Treiso. In total, they farm just 10 hectares of vines, producing about 45,000 bottles of wine per year—including about 450 cases annually of today’s Albesani bottling.
This is a tight-knit family operation, with Piero and Lucia Busso now joined by their son, Pierguido, and daughter, Emanuela, in managing all phases of production. Their ‘house style’ is resolutely traditional, with long, slow, native-yeast fermentations followed by aging in large, Slavonian oak vats (botti). Drawing on their old vines in Vigna Borgese, which range in age from 40-70 years, they craft a powerful expression of Neive Barbaresco. The Borgese site faces southwest and sits at a relatively high altitude, resulting in a very firmly structured Nebbiolo loaded with high-toned aromas and lots of tension; it’s a wine that promises to age 20+ years with ease, bringing you along for an aromatic journey like no other red wine can.
In the glass, the ’16 “Albesani-Vigna Borgese” is a deep garnet-red moving to pink and orange, with the full torrent of Nebbiolo sensations rushing from the glass when poured: lush Bing cherry, red currant, blood orange, cigar box, leather, candied rose, red licorice, underbrush, and lots of savory spice. It is a full-bodied, full-flavored style but refined at the same time, with smooth, fine-grained tannins and a harmonious balance that speaks to the quality of the long, balanced 2016 vintage. It is deeply satisfying now, but give it some time to blossom in a decanter—60 minutes at least before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems. For me, the woodsy, spicy qualities of this wine—plus its ripe, accessible fruit—really stand out right now, making me crave food that will play to that: meaning the next call will be to my buddy Joe, one of the world’s great mushroom foragers. This wine and some sautéed porcinis or morels? Absolute perfection. See for yourself!
