Taverna - Barbaresco GP, Piedmont, Italy (2017)

TASTING NOTES

Perfumed and approachable. Textbook rose, leather and tar notes with a slightly candied red fruit and savoury herbs. Drink now - it is a perfect spot!

100% harvested from the Gaia-Principe ("GP") vineyard in the municipality of Neive, consisting 1.2 ha planted in 1968.

2017 is considered the earliest and one of the most dry vintages in the Langhe throughout all the history of the region. The early and hot spring was “accompanied” by several hail storms that substantially reduced the yields. Harvest was relatively early, in mid-September.

After the harvest, the grapes were destemmed and crushed. The vinification was performed in neutral vats without temperature control and lasted 7 days with regular pump-overs and punch-downs. Post-fermentation maceration for 3 days. The lots were aged separately in old French oak barrels, before the final blend was created in January 2020. 800 bottles produced.

Taverna Wines, based in Neive (Barbaresco, Piedmont), is a winery with a colourful history. The family estate was founded in the 1930s by the grandfather of current owner Roberto Taverna. The family estate was among the first to bottle Barbaresco Cru wines, for example the “Cascina Slizza” (now part of Gaia-Principe MGA) back in 1974 under the name of Vina Versio, the founder’s widow. She never remarried, kept managing the vineyards and making wines for 30 years until her son-in-law Piero Taverna took over the reigns and ran the estate for another 30 years. However, the first estate’s “official” vintage was not until 2016.

For the family, growing grapes and making and selling wine has always been a side business. Roberto Taverna, who officially became the owner of the estate in 1998, is an electrician, but when his turn came to run the winemaking, he decided to bring the estate to a new level. In 2016 he applied for an official bottler’s license and produced his first Barbaresco.

In 2019 he launched a partnership with Bisso, an internationally renowned wine critic & ‘local’ winemaker. Father Piero still helps at the vineyards (nearly fulltime) and takes care of the private clients. Nonna Vina unfortunately passed away in August 2021, but always kept offering her advice on every vat sample.