95 Points Wine Enthusiast
A perfect mixed garden, with aromas of turned soil, blackberries ready to be picked, herbs fragrantly filling the air and warmed raspberries sitting in a basket weave their way into and out of the glass. Savory flavors of mixed herbs, tobacco and licorice root open the palate as flavors of cherry and marionberries pop with fresh acidity against a frame of elegant and super juicy flavors of macerated cherries that burst with freshness and a lifted finish.
94 Points Wine Spectator
Round and supple, this red features cherry, raspberry, rose, iron and menthol flavors. Though well-structured, this finishes with a flourish of red fruit and energy.
94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Produttori del Barbaresco 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is a tighter wine with more elegant mineral definition compared to the 2020 vintage that I tasted at the same time. However, this wine is not as accessible and remains a little shy or closed at this young stage in its life. The tannins are well managed in this edition that naturally delivers more richness and concentration.
94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Produttori del Barbaresco 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is a tighter wine with more elegant mineral definition compared to the 2020 vintage that I tasted at the same time. However, this wine is not as accessible and remains a little shy or closed at this young stage in its life. The tannins are well managed in this edition that naturally delivers more richness and concentration. It needs a little more time to shed that nervous tension.
93 Points James Suckling
Leafy lightness with a meaty character and earthy cherry and pomegranate notes. Firm tannins and crisp acidity on the classic, extracted palate, with massive structure, a medium body and a juicy finish.
Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Produttori del Barbaresco "Ovello" Barbaresco Riserva offers a vibrant and aromatic expression of Nebbiolo from the Ovello vineyard. Spanning 6.5 hectares, it is the largest cru in Barbaresco, known for its mixed limestone and clay soils and cooler exposure, producing wines of elegance and energy. Aged traditionally for 36 months in large oak barrels, followed by bottle aging, this Riserva displays a bright garnet color with aromas of wild strawberries, mint, and white pepper. On the palate, it combines red berry flavors with floral notes, supported by silky tannins and lively acidity. The lingering finish reflects Ovello's hallmark freshness and balance.
Ovello Vineyard - "The Tomboy"
Ovello is the northernmost vineyard in the village of Barbaresco, higher on the sea level and dropping down to the river in a 300 feet, abrupt bluff.
It is a relatively large area with a number of subzones with West and East exposure, all sharing a similar calcareous soils rich in clay. The extra clay and the cooler microclimate give the Ovello its exuberant and youthful quality in the fruit and its fuller body, which defines its distinctive personality. Explosive fruit on the palate and firm, sometime rough, tannins on the finish, these wines always bring a lot of joy to the palate and deliver powerful structure, that needs some years of bottle ageing to balance out. Domizio Cavazza had vineyards in Ovello (and Pora) when he started producing Barbaresco in 1894. It was also among the first 5 vineyards produced as single vineyard by Produttori in 1967.
