2018 Barbaresco, Rocche Massalupo, Manuel Marinacci, Piedmont, Italy

Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.

Manuel Marinacci’s artisanal cantina is hidden in the village of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. The estate covers only four hectares, lying within the Rocche Massalupo vineyard on the western edge of the region. Since he began in 2004 and until the ’17 vintage, Manuel never referenced the vineyard on his label; today, with growing interest in these local identifiers, it now features. The vineyard itself is of friable marl, with layered clay and limestone, but less sandstone than other sites. Manuel’s slopes are steep and south-facing but near the foot of the hill, always well ventilated by the breeze that scuds along the nearby stream. Winemaking is simple and unfussy: fermentation in cement or fibre glass, and two years’ ageing in large Slavonian botte. Manuel does like to give his wines an extra year in botte, so these are usually Riserva in stature, although not always declared as such. Only about 500 cases of Barbaresco are made each year.