Cantina del Pino "Ovello" Barbaresco DOCG 2020

"Imagine plucking strawberries and raspberries straight from the bush, their freshness and tartness filling the air. Accompanying this fruit-forward bouquet are hints of wild herbs, evoking a walk through a forest, with touches of pine in the breeze. The palate is a nod to the classics, with those tart wild berries taking center stage. The fine tannins are like a gentle reminder that this wine is meant for pairing—think a rustic mushroom risotto or a herb-crusted rack of lamb. Drink from 2025." - Wine Enthusiast

Cantina del Pino is a benchmark producer in Barbaresco, crafting traditionally styled wines with depth and finesse. Their Ovello bottling, sourced from one of the region’s most revered crus, reflects the vineyard’s cool microclimate and limestone-rich soils, resulting in a Barbaresco of both structure and refinement. The 2020 vintage, marked by balance and purity, enhances Ovello’s signature lifted aromatics and firm backbone.

Red cherry, wild strawberry, and blood orange lead, layered with dried rose petals, anise and crushed stone. The palate is vibrant and precise, with firm yet polished tannins and a long, mineral-driven finish. While already showing elegance with extended decanting, this wine is built to evolve beautifully over the next 15–20 years.

Cantina del Pino has emerged as one of the most important producers of Barbaresco. Their vineyard and family history could not be more intertwined with the history of Barbaresco. The very first wine labeled as Barbaresco, made by the "father" of Barbaresco, the renowned enologist Domizio Cavazza in 1894, was made from the Ovello Vineyard that Renato Vacca's great-great grandfather purchased from Cavazza a few years later and the family has owned ever since. Cavazza owned the estate, formerly known as Cascina Ovello, another nearby parcel, and also the castle.

When his first son was born, Vacca planted a Pine tree at the top of Ovello and over time it became known as Cantina del Pino. That tree, depicted on the label, still stands today. The bulk of their current vineyard land is on the historic cru “Ovello” in the commune of Barbaresco. Ovello’s elevation, exposure, both to the sun and the climate moderating effects of the nearby Tanaro river, vine age (80 years) and soil mix all contribute to the combination of finesse, complexity and power evident in the wines of Cantina del Pino. Ovello has a long track record of producing one of the most complex and elegant Barbarescos.