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The Vacca family's estate has
been included in the Guide for the first time this year with a selection
of remarkably characterful wines. Renato is an enologist and spends most of his time
running the cellar while his father, Adriano, devotes his energies to the
vineyards. Most of their six hectares lie in the Ovello
di Barbaresco subzone, although a small portion is located in Gallina di Nieve. Cantina del Pino,
which produces 30,000 bottles a year, was bought by Renato's
grandfather in 1925 and has been vinifying its
own grapes since 1997. Prior to this, the family sold its harvest to the
Cantina dei Produttori
del Barbaresco. The offerings of this young
winery are the fruit of a happy marriage between tradition and
technology.
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The Barbaresco Ovello (1997) is obtained with a brief maceration and
ageing in both barriques and large barrels, a
combination that really works. Its lush garnet color immediately reveals
the wine's potential, confirmed by aromas of black berries and autumn
leaves over elegant balsamic notes. The wine's trademark juicy flesh is
immediately obvious on the palate, which progresses generously yet softly
to explode in a powerful crescendo that ushers in a complex finish which
combines suggestions of mint, confectioner's cream, and fruit.
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The
youthful color of the Barbera (1998) hints at a
wine of substance. Its cherry aromas combines with pepper, hay, and green
leaf notes, and the palate is both full-bodied and very satisfying, with
a dignified, lingering finish.
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The
Dolcetto d'Alba
(1999), the wine that has made the estate's name over the last few years,
is excellent, among the best we tasted.
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