Roncaglie is one of the most significant Cru’s in Barbaresco, David considers the site very much a ‘Grand Cru’ of the village. In 2019 David was granted the right to bottle under the Roncaglie cru as opposed to Barbaresco DOCG. David explains that the plot he sources from in Roncaglie is South West facing, a little more shaded so longer hang time & more ferrous soils resulting in dark fruits, more masculine tannin.
This wine is 100% destemmed. Goes into open fermenter after cuvaison, it is pressed to barrel. Elevage in old oak, over 10 years old, 300ltr barrels. Barbaresco can only be released on the 3rd January following harvest, giving the wine approx. 27 months total aging. David ages his wines for 24 months in barrel (legally it only needs be 12 as a minimum) then 3 months in bottle.
The 2021 vintage is one that will likely go down as better in Barbaresco. It was overall a very drought but not hot vintage; and while it was rainy in France and Germany, in Piedmont’s Langa it was actually less rainy but colder than usual. Otherwise, the 2021 vintage was a year of good production as opposed to 2019 (very classic wines), and 2020 (wines with more fruit but less acidity than those of 2021). Fletcher asserts his 2021 wines have more structure than his 2020s, but all are equally fresh. The best of both worlds.
Roncaglie is one of the most significant Cru’s in Barbaresco, David considers the site very much a ‘Grand Cru’ of the village. In 2019 David was granted the right to bottle under the Roncaglie cru as opposed to Barbaresco DOCG. David explains that the plot he sources from in Roncaglie is South West facing, a little more shaded so longer hang time & more ferrous soils resulting in dark fruits, more masculine tannin.
This wine is 100% destemmed. Goes into open fermenter after cuvaison, it is pressed to barrel. Elevage in old oak, over 10 years old, 300ltr barrels. Barbaresco can only be released on the 3rd January following harvest, giving the wine approx. 27 months total aging. David ages his wines for 24 months in barrel (legally it only needs be 12 as a minimum) then 3 months in bottle.
The 2021 vintage is one that will likely go down as better in Barbaresco. It was overall a very drought but not hot vintage; and while it was rainy in France and Germany, in Piedmont’s Langa it was actually less rainy but colder than usual. Otherwise, the 2021 vintage was a year of good production as opposed to 2019 (very classic wines), and 2020 (wines with more fruit but less acidity than those of 2021). Fletcher asserts his 2021 wines have more structure than his 2020s, but all are equally fresh. The best of both worlds.
