The story of the Produttori del Barbaresco cooperative winery dates back to the late nineteenth century. It was in 1894, that Domizio Cavazza, director of Alba’s Royal Oenological School and a resident of Barbaresco, established the village’s first wine cooperative. Known as Cantine Sociali, it brought together nine local growers and landowners to produce wine in the cellars of Barbaresco Castle. Unfortunately, the cooperative to close due to economic difficulties during the 1930s. Several years later, in 1958, the village priest came to the aid of the struggling producers. Bringing 19 of them together, he founded Produttori del Barbaresco. During the first three years, the wines were actually made in the basement of the village church. Today, the cooperative brings together 51 winemakers, all committed to promoting both Barbaresco and the village itself by producing Barbaresco exclusively. This winemaking cooperative cultivates more than 100 hectares of Nebbiolo. Each family farms its own parcels according to traditional, often centuries-old practices, before delivering the grapes to the winery for vinification. The cooperative’s philosophy is perhaps best summed up by Domizio Cavazza himself: “If you want to taste Barbaresco, do not ask for a small sample to be sent to your home address. Buy a case from a single vintage or, better still, a mixed case containing several vintages. That is the best way to understand Barbaresco.”

The Barbaresco terroir rests on marl composed of limestone and sand, yielding wines that are both elegant and firmly structured. The winemaking cooperative blends grapes selected from the finest plots. Limestone soils bring finesse, while the sandy streaks lend a more supple structure and encourage optimal ripening of Nebbiolo. After hand-harvesting, the clusters undergo strict selection. The fruit then ferments during long temperature controlled macerations. Finally, the wine benefits from an extended ageing period of around thirty months in foudres (large wooden tuns).
The wine reveals a ruby hue which will take on garnet highlights with time. The bouquet offers ripe black cherry, dried orange peel, faded rose and damp earth, enhanced by touches of fine leather and spice. On the palate, a clean attack reveals dense yet silky tannins supported by dark fruit and spice, leading into a long, saline finish.