2022 Produttori Barbaresco

Produttori has established itself as one of the most consistent, value-driven producers in Piedmont today. It does feel like the quality has taken a couple of clicks up over the last several years, as the region’s warmer temperatures are allowing the grapes to ripen more fully and consistently year after year. The 2022 appears to be another spectacular offering.

Produttori del Barbaresco is a cooperative founded in 1958 by the parish priest of Barbaresco, Don Fiorino Marengo, who encouraged local growers to bottle their own wine instead of selling their Nebbiolo grapes to larger houses in Barolo and Alba. At the time, Barbaresco was far less famous than it is today, and many farmers struggled to make a living from viticulture. By joining forces, the growers were able to invest in proper cellars, bottle under a single name, and demonstrate the quality of the vineyards surrounding the village.

Today, the cooperative is made up of around 50 families farming roughly 100 hectares of vineyards, many of which lie in some of Barbaresco’s most historic crus such as Asili, Rabajà, Montestefano, and Ovello. Each grower tends their own parcels throughout the year, but the fruit is brought to the Produttori cellar, where winemaking is handled centrally. The focus has always been on transparency and tradition, allowing the character of Nebbiolo and the individual vineyards to show clearly.

The Barbaresco DOCG bottling serves as the backbone of the estate. Grapes come from multiple sites across the appellation, giving the wine a broad expression of the region rather than a single-vineyard perspective. In the cellar, the approach is intentionally classic: fermentation in stainless steel followed by aging in large, neutral oak casks (botti) rather than small new barrels. This preserves Nebbiolo’s natural aromatics and structure while avoiding overt oak influence.

Anyone who has tasted this wine over the last several years knows the quality. It shows a classic Nebbiolo signature of red cherry, rose petal, dried herbs, and subtle spice, along with firm but polished tannins and bright acidity. Even in its “entry-level” form, the wine does deserve a few years in the cellar to reach its full potential. This is another great example of the wine. Pick some up today, you’ll be glad you did.