Fabio Gea 'Notu Seguiva le Gocce d'Acqua' Barbaresco 2017

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmonte

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Nebbiolo

Fabio is a young winemaker and former geologist whose grandfather bequeathed him a few tiny plots around the Bricco in Barbaresco. His few rows of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, and Grignolino amount to less than one hectare. The vines are co-planted with fruit trees and Fabio treats the vines with only small amounts of copper and sulfur, along with plant based remedies.

Everything about Fabio's wines is unique. His Barbaresco bottlings are labeled with hand-pressed pulp paper. He makes such little wine he is able to hand number each bottle with a pen. Fabio's wines are pure, charged and intense, with plenty of muscle and finesse. All of the farming is done by hand. In the cellar, Fabio uses a mix of older large barrels (500L), glass, and steel, and he has been experimenting more and more with porcelain amphorae that he has designed and created himself. His Barbaresco barrels are not toasted. Instead, Fabio "vaporizes" the wood oils and sugars by applying dangerously hot volcanic stones to the interior. 

This Barbaresco is fermented in concrete and aged for three years before release. The nose offers rich fruits and earth, with notes of bold red plum and spiced cherry. On the palate, baking spice, espresso, roasted herbs, and savory dark cherry. Fresh, with a clean mineral zip and pleasant dusty tannins.