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Wines by Baricci |
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Baricci
Nothing makes a wine more attractive than its inability
to be procured, though sometimes the hype is unwarranted.
Baricci certainly merits the attention and to say that it
is hard to attain is rather an understatement, as IWM is
the sole purveyor of Baricci in the United States. That
said, it is residing in the zone where its captive audience
is small and fairly quiet (by virtue of the fact that the
winemaker, Nello Baricci, sells the majority of the production
in Italy). While the Baricci following may not be prominent,
it is nevertheless fervent, and Sergio has been part of
this earnest group since discovering Baricci in the late
1990s.
Until 2006, however, Sergio was unable to receive Baricci
wines in sufficient quantity to sell (his personal collection
wasn't even enough, as he would parse out bottles, taking
care to stow away a small stash). Why all the fuss? Well,
let's go back to the start….Baricci first caught Sergio’s
palate during a dinner in Toscana at Albergo al Brunello
di Montalcino. Sergio and three wine buyers were drinking
the likes of Soldera, Biondi-Santi, and Il Poggione, when
the owner of the hotel/restaurant presented an unidentified
wine for their assessment. Sergio was impressed with its
formidable presence on the palate, craftsmanship, and purity,
and, given these qualities, amazed to learn that it was
a Rosso di Montalcino (the Rosso served was ten years old,
though Rossi are generally intended to be drunk young, while
their Brunello superiors age). Moreover, it was the work
of a producer that neither he nor his colleagues had heard
of—thus began Sergio’s membership in a coterie
of fervent devotees.
As Baricci lies north of the Montalcino subzone, on the
celebrated Montosoli hill, it receives limited exposure
to both the Mediterranean influence of Montalcino and the
cooling breezes that the latter’s high altitude affords,
resulting in wines that display impressive ripeness and
structure.
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You may also enjoy reading about these additional producers:
Agostina Pieri,
Altesino,
Antinori,
Argiano,
Biondi-Santi,
Camigliano,
Casanova di Neri,
Casisano-Colombaio,
Castello Banfi,
Castiglion del Bosco,
Cerbaiona,
Ciacci Piccolomini,
Col d'Orcia,
Costanti,
Donatella Cinelli Colombini,
Fattoria dei Barbi,
Fuligni,
Il Palazzone,
Il Poggione,
La Poderina,
La Rasina,
Lisini,
Marchesi de' Frescobaldi,
Mastrojanni,
Pieve Santa Restituta,
Poggio Antico,
Poggio di Sotto,
San Felice,
Sassetti-Pertimali,
Sassetti Livio Pertimali,
Solaria,
Soldera,
Talenti,
Tenuta Caparzo,
Tenuta di Sesta,
Tenuta la Fuga,
Uccelliera,
Valdicava
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