Manuel Marinacci Barbaresco Riserva 2015 | Certa

Tucked away in the little known Barbaresco village of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (in fact, the smallest commune within the Barbaresco DOCG), just outside Alba, is where Manuel produces this fantastic Barbaresco wine, a hidden gem!

Believing in sustainable viticulture and minimal intervention in wine making, Manuel’s Nebbiolo grapes spends around a month on skins (20-40 days) before fermentation. He extracts gently, so that the wine does not get bitter, astringent flavours. His Barbaresco is than maturated for three years in large Slavonian neutral oak casks, a year more than the minimum legal requirement.

The wine shows medium ruby garnet colour. The aroma is pronounced and complex with dried rose petal, ripe and sweet strawberries and red cherries, dried citrus peel, liquorice with a hint of forest floor and truffle note. On palate, it is smooth with silky tannins and bright acidity. The finish lingers with juicy red fruit, savoury and mineral notes, long and enjoyable! A relatively ripe and approachable style reflecting the warm vintage character of 2015, but the wine is impeccably balanced without being jammy or overripe.

This beautiful Barbaresco has the sufficient body and concentration to pair with our home-cooked American grain-fed Sirloin steak with a bit Italian twist as we use aged Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan Cheese) to replace seat salt for adding an extra layer of savoury flavour to the steak. I have to say this is a heavenly match! Cheers!