Tasting Report: 50-plus Attractive 2010 Barbarescos

Despite some saying that Barbaresco was nowhere near the success story as Barolo in the 2010 vintage, I found many outstanding bottles. Just like the 2010 Barolos, Barbarescos from the same year are balanced and delicately fruity with fine tannins and pretty crisp acidity. They are wines for the most part to be drunk on release but will improve with age.

I spent a morning in March with Aldo Vacca, head of the growers' cooperative of Barbaresco called Produttori del Barbaresco, and he said that early harvest rains diluted the grape slightly, which is why his cooperative didn't make any single vineyard wines and elected to blend them all into a single wine. This happened with the 2006 vintage as well.

Vacca prefers 2007, 2008 and 2009 as vintages in Barbaresco.

For me, Vacca's views on a vintage are important because his 51 vine-growing members represent one sixth of the total acreage of Barbaresco and most of the top names. "Great years produce wines with body, structure, and acidity and 2010 doesn't have that," he said. "But it produced some very good wines."

I remember tasting the 2010s last summer with Angelo Gaja, the master of the region, and he said, "The 2010 is more like the 2008. It is more elegant. The 2009 is more like 2011 or 2007. It is more structured and fruity."

His daughter Gaja added, "The 2010 changes a lot. There is only one word: It is straight. It is not austere and not generous. 2009 is generous with firm tannins."

Whatever your views are on 2010, Barbaresco made some outstanding wines that won't disappoint and they are drinkable in the near future, even now.