Fausoni Barbaresco DOCG 2018

Wine description for Fausoni Barbaresco DOCG 2018 by Sottimano

Colour & appearance

Ruby red with luminous reflections, bright and clear.

Nose

An interplay of aromas between ripe red fruit and spicy-balsamic notes: morello cherries and preserved wild cherries, fresh raspberry juice, redcurrants and dried flowers. Sandalwood, cloves, allspice and a hint of incense lend the wine a spicy robe – almost like a Maghrebian bazaar. Sun-dried tomatoes, sage and a fine balsamic accent complete the picture.

Palate

The attack is guided by a firm, tightly woven tannin corset that gives the wine precise contours. Despite the rather light vintage, it presents itself as firm and gripping, with dark-fruited depth and an athletic, almost aristocratic stature. The tannins are dense, imparting a stimulatingly tart astringency, supported by concentrated fruit with subtle extract.

Finish

Fruity and tart, with delicately saline minerality and a grippy texture. A long finish – a true marathon runner.

Terroir & origin

The cru Fausoni lies just outside Neive and, at only 1.5 hectares, is the estate’s smallest vineyard site. The roughly 45-year-old vines face southwest and are considered Sottimano’s youngest parcels – which lends the wine the balance typical of this site, combining elegance, fragrant aromatics and profound concentration. Fausoni is regarded as the softest and most floral of the five crus.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Nebbiolo, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts. Maceration lasts around 25 days; malolactic fermentation also occurs spontaneously in French oak. Maturation extends over 24 months in cask – 15 per cent new wood, the remainder in second- to fourth-fill barrels – twelve months of which on the lees. Bottled without fining or filtration.

Food recommendations

The spicy depth and firm tannins call for dishes with structure and aromatic complexity: saddle of hare in chocolate sauce with Brussels sprout leaves, barberries and Pommes Dauphine is as bold as it is harmonious. Turbot under a bone marrow crust with celeriac purée and Beurre Rouge also finds a fine counterpart in the wine’s saline minerality. For vegetable lovers: salad of grilled beetroot, black walnuts, pine nuts and dill.

Special features

Since the 2014 vintage, the use of wood in the cellar has been significantly reduced – the result is a Barbaresco of immense vibration and depth that already appears accessible in its youth, without sacrificing its ageing potential. Andrea Sottimano is one of those winemakers who have turned patience into a virtue: while others have long since pressed off, he waits. And you can taste it.