Barbaresco 2025 Tasting Report: Aiming for Sheer Finesse

The 2022 vintage in Barbaresco was marked by what could be described as two harvests, and only the first one didn’t involve picking a single grape. The vines had suffered so much from heat and drought that the initial pass through the vineyards served mainly to remove scorched leaves and sunburned grapes.

“By the end of September, everything was already in the cellar,” said Carlo Giacosa winemaker Luca Peri, one of the denomination’s rising stars. “Compared to the cool 2024, harvest dates were nearly a month earlier – at least two to three weeks ahead of the appellation’s average. The 200-day vegetative cycle that benefits nebbiolo by adding depth to the wine and softness to the tannins was a distant dream.”

The oft-repeated refrain that climate change has so far favored rather than hindered the Langhe – frequently noted by figures such as Angelo Gaja of the Gaja winery – did not hold in 2022. It simply didn’t rain, and the vines suffered.

To quantify the impact of heat and drought, let’s look at the numbers, starting with production. According to the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, the producer's association in Italy that protects and promotes the wines from the Langhe and Roero regions, Barbaresco production in 2022 officially totaled 5,058,564 bottles. This marked a decline after years of steady growth since 2015, with the exception of the also-hot 2017 vintage.

That’s not all. In 2023, production dropped further to 4,986,717 bottles. Many producers attribute this to the 2022 drought, which stressed the vines so severely that some vineyard plots were uprooted. Agricultural data supports this, perhaps even more strikingly.

Barbaresco’s planted area had grown steadily – from 738 hectares in 2015 to a peak of 859 hectares in 2022, including a notable increase from 812 hectares in 2021. However, in 2023, the total dropped back to 814 hectares – a break in the upward trend.

When compared with the excellent 2021 Barolo vintage, the challenges faced by Barbaresco in 2022 are crystal clear. Barolo, with 2,258 hectares, yielded 108,716 hectoliters and 14,501,532 bottles. Barbaresco, with 859 hectares, produced 37,939 hectoliters and 5,058,564 bottles.

While the bottle-to-hectoliter ratio is essentially the same, Barbaresco averaged 44.2 hectoliters per hectare, compared with Barolo’s 48.2 hl/ha. In 2022, Barbaresco lost around 500 bottles per hectare due to the intense heat and drought.

Conditions in the cellar weren’t much easier. High alcohol levels and sluggish fermentations raised fears of fermentation stoppages. Temperature control was crucial, often not exceeding 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 Fahrenheit). Gentle racking, minimal oxygen exposure, and avoiding submerged cap maceration when skins weren’t pristine became the norm.

The traditional piemontesina, where the grape cap is submerged and pinned under the wine to maximize extraction, is becoming less common in extreme vintages. Maria Teresa Mascarello recently made a similar observation regarding Barolo.

Even cooler areas of Barbaresco, such as the southern zones toward Treiso (noted for their wooded terrain), weren’t spared. Renowned crus like Asili, known for elegance and ideal exposure, still struggled. More resilient were sites like Ovello – often harvested late, with thick skins – and Rabaja, typically austere.

So, how should we interpret the 2022 vintage? There were not only good wines but truly excellent ones. These successes were more the result of careful selection and producer sensitivity than vintage conditions. This is where Barbaresco’s artisanal nature plays to its advantage. According to the Consorzio, 62.44 percent of Barbaresco producers make fewer than 10,000 bottles annually, compared with 46.7 percent in Barolo.

“2022 was one of the earliest vintages in recent years, marked by severe water scarcity and an unusually dry spring,” commented Walter Lodali of the Lodali estate. “It showcased the vine’s incredible resilience and strength. Those who managed their vineyards well achieved excellent results – wines that are more immediate and approachable than the 2021s.”

READ MORE BARBARESCO 2021 VINTAGE REPORT: TAKING FINESSE TO A NEW LEVEL

Yet, one question now looms: What is Barbaresco’s identity today?

It no longer makes sense to describe it using outdated clichés – like “nebbiolo for queens,” with Barolo reserved for kings. Some Barbarescos are so grand they demand their own space, much like how Morey-Saint-Denis defies easy comparison to Gevrey-Chambertin or Chambolle-Musigny.

The best Barbarescos today display layered complexity and power, with an innate elegance. These wines are not lacking in flesh or minerality, yet the hallmark remains a subtle aromatic freshness – between floral and minty. At its best, this becomes sheer finesse.

The fact that Gaja produced all of its Sorì wines in 2022, despite its strict release policy in challenging vintages, shows that with meticulous selection and vineyard care, greatness was still possible.

The Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 2022 slightly outshines the Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2022, though it’s largely a matter of style. The Tildin is built for longevity: dark, deep and fleshy, with notable complexity – bark, camphor, balsamic hints, dried cherries and black fruits. More reserved than expressive, it’s full-bodied with fine, velvety tannins delivering a harmonious and fresh finish.

The San Lorenzo, on the other hand, is immediately elegant and filigreed, with notes of watermelon, lemon leaf, Parma violets and strawberries underpinned by mineral depth. The tannins are noble and finely chiseled, the body full and dense. Bright acidity brings a graceful and refreshing close.

Other standout 2022s include Carlo Giacosa’s Barbaresco Montefico, celebrated for its elegance and vibrant, citrusy character with a silky texture and long finish. Ceretto’s Barbaresco Gallina 2022, meanwhile, is intensely aromatic, leafy and fresh, with herbal notes and lavish tannins – a very classic expression.

READ MORE BAROLO ANNUAL TASTING REPORT: A BEAUTIFUL WARMTH UNFOLDS

That said, the greatest wines from our tastings were often the 2021 late releases and the 2020 and 2019 riservas. The Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabajà 2021 is a modern classic – extractions now more balanced even in powerful vintages. It’s a wine full of transparency, florality and powerfully embroidered tannins.

And a standout debut from 2020 is Walter Lodali’s Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo Riserva. Already positively evolved, it offers fresh red fruits, ample licorice and a salty, integrated palate.

The 2019 riservas return to a more traditional style. The Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Currà Riserva 2019 is perfumed with potpourri, embers, pomegranate and a pine-resin, balsamic undertone. It’s full, velvety and dense, with a minty finish.

That signature freshness – minty and graceful – paired with nebbiolo’s innate power, forms the core identity of Barbaresco. One that holds strong, even in the face of the harshest vintages.

– Aldo Fiordelli, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the tasters at JamesSuckling.com. Note: You can sort the wines below by vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.