Known collectively as ‘the three Bs’, Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino are three of Italy’s most renowned wines.
Barolo and Barbaresco, from Piedmont, are made from Nebbiolo grapes and differ in their ageing requirements and location. Brunello di Montalcino, from Tuscany, is made from Sangiovese Grosso and has longer ageing requirements.
In this article we delve deeper into the trio’s differences and also explore winemaking traditions, trends like single vineyard wines and list key producers for each wine.
Of course, it’s purely coincidence that all three begin with the same letter, but it’s a neat way to group these top-tier reds.
Barolo and Barbaresco are both situated close together, in the Langhe area of Piedmont in northwest Italy. Made from the Nebbiolo grape – which is thought to be named after the fog, or ‘nebbia’, a common occurrence in the Langhe hills in the cooler months – the wines are most appreciated for their complex and ethereal aromas and flavours allied to structural tannins.
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"}
