NoseAbundant, refined, red fruit notes black-cherryraspberryred-cherry
FlavorComples and refined with a full-body, rich tannins and a long finish
Piedmont At a Glance
Region NamePiedmont
Piemonte is considered by many the top wine region of Italy, being the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, even though these mega-popular wines only account for 3% of the region’s wine production.
Score: 96Vintage 2020VinousThe 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of intense fruit and supporting structure. A wine of depth and complexity, Asili has a lot of everything. It is clearly a step or two above many of the wines in this range. Today, the 2020 comes across as a bit somber, but that may partly be a reflection of its recent bottling. There's gorgeous depth and resonance in the Asili.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2020The Wine Advocate The Produttori del Barbaresco 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili shows terrific balance and freshness thanks to cold evenings that lasted to the end of September. Asili is not far from Pora, and both sites share similar sandy soils. However, Asili is cut off from the warm air currents of the Tanaro River. This wine is more profound as a result, with soft tannins, a linear texture and well-defined mouthfeel. The 2020 vintage is more accessible overall, but you get the profound depth that Nebbiolo offers. This was the fifth of nine wines presented in the Riserva series. Therefore, it falls somewhere in the middle of the power continuum in terms of intensity and richness.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 96Vintage 2019Wine SpectatorThis is lean and well-defined, offering plum, cherry, earth, mineral and camphor aromas and flavors. There's a feeling of ripeness midpalate, before the tannins put their exclamation mark on the lingering finish. Firm and fresh. Best from 2028 through 2045.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 94Vintage 2019James SucklingYouthful fruit character of ripe cherries and violets. The wine on the palate is firm, extracted and medium-bodied. Precise in the finish. Tannins are a bit rustic. Will improve with aging, developing complexity. Best after a decade.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 94Vintage 2019Vinous MediaThe 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a very pretty, silky wine that shows all the signatures of this site in its refined, mid-weight personality. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, cedar, mint and tobacco all grace this classy Barbaresco. The 2019 is classic Asili, with firm tannins from the year.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 93Vintage 2019Wine EnthusiastThe nose highlights aromas of warm strawberry jam, wild thyme, snapped mint and mixed wildflowers slowly emerge. Dark sour cherries sit at the core of the palate as savory herbs and spices swirl about, the fine grained tannins. Vibrant acidity lifts the palate toward the finish as subtle hints of grilled mushrooms provide an umami kick at the last sip. Drink 2025 - 2050 — Jeff PorterShelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 96Vintage 2017James SucklingA clear and transparent Asili with floral, sage, crushed-stone, mushroom and berry aromas that follow through to a full body with round tannins that are a little aggressive, but in a good way. Crunchy and fresh at the end. Citrusy undertones. Savory. Better in a year or two.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2017Wine SpectatorPacks a winning combination of ripe black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit, with tar, iron, eucalyptus and tobacco accents. Delivering a rich, densely tannic texture, this is powerful and resonant, with plenty of energy on the long, vibrant aftertaste. Balanced, yet begs for patience. Best from 2027 through 2045.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2017Wine AdvocateThe Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is distinguished by its extremely linear and direct approach with wild rose, cassis and lots of mineral or crushed stone. The wine is taut and fresh on the palate with a medium-lean texture and lots of depth and persistence. I love those bright rose petal-like nuances on the close of this wine, and the tannins are firm and silky. This bottle boasts a unique identity in this group of Riservas. 10,000 bottles were produced.
Produttori del Barbaresco has been hitting it out of the ballpark these past years with a string of excellent vintages that resulted in the production of their entire line of Riservas. However, that good momentum comes to an end because the Riservas were not made in 2018. That vintage saw all the fruit blended into one non-MGA Barbaresco. And with the 2017 Riservas reviewed here, you might find these bottles hard to find. Production was 30% lower in this growing season because of a very careful fruit selection process. In fact, Aldo Vacca calls 2017 a "roller coaster vintage with frost, then hail, then a summer drought."Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2017Vinous MediaThe 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a real stand out. It captures all the sensuality of the year while retaining the translucence and freshness of Nebbiolo. Rose petal, crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon and spice develop with a bit of coaxing. This is another gorgeous wine from the Produttori. Asili is widely regarded as one of the best vineyards in Barbaresco, maybe the best. This wine shows why.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 93Vintage 2017Wine EnthusiastFloral aromas of iris and
pressed rose come to the forefront along with hay,
eucalyptus and spice. Full-bodied and rather concentrated, the palate recalls cherry marinated in
spirits, licorice and ground clove alongside taut,
fine-grained tannins.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 97Vintage 2016Wine SpectatorPure, exuding rose, cherry, strawberry, currant, mineral and wild juniper aromas and flavors. Intense and driven by the vibrant structure. The tannins are present yet refined, finishing long and resonant. A contrast of power and finesse. Best from 2025 through 2045. 1,110 cases made, 200 cases imported.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 97Vintage 2016Wine AdvocateThe Produttori del Barbaresco 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (with 9,029 bottles produced) is distinguished by its elegance and the very smooth and silky delivery of fruit managed here. Seamless transitions are made between wild berry, blue flower, limestone, earth and crushed stone. The wine is expertly stitched together and ever so polished and glossy, just like a ruby gemstone. The Conti, Lembo and Viglino families take credit for supplying the Asili fruit for this blend.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 97Vintage 2016Vinous MediaThe 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili marries power and sensuality the way only Nebbiolo can. Soaring aromatics, beautifully pliant red-toned fruit and tons of pure depth emerge in a stunning Barbaresco that captivates all the senses. Silky, refined and exceptionally beautiful, the 2016 is quite simply one of the most complete Asilis I have tasted from the Produttori. It is an unforgettable wine.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 93Vintage 2016Wine EnthusiastThis has a rather delicate nose offering aromas of mature red berries, cedar and camphor while the full-bodied but elegantly structured palate features raspberry jam, crushed Morello cherry and licorice. Enveloping, velvety tannins provide support. You’ll also detect the warmth of alcohol on the finish, but the ripe fruit keeps it in check.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 96Vintage 2015Wine SpectatorBright cherry and berry fruit picks up a saline edge in this fleshy red, which stays defined and vibrant despite the assertive tannins. In the end, all the components are in the right proportion; this just needs time to integrate. Best from 2023 through 2043. 1,111 cases made, 250 cases imported.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 96Vintage 2015Wine SpectatorBright cherry and berry fruit picks up a saline edge in this fleshy red, which stays defined and vibrant despite the assertive tannins. In the end, all the components are in the right proportion; this just needs time to integrate. Best from 2023 through 2043. 1,111 cases made, 250 cases importedShelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 96Vintage 2015Wine AdvocateOne of the protagonists in this group of nine, the Produttori del Barbaresco 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (with some 13,333 bottles made) shows bright cherry fruit, dried raspberry and blood orange. The wine's delicate aromatic layering continues with rusty iron, aniseed, tea leaf and camphor ash. Those lifted and vertical aromas contribute to the energy and vibrancy that this wine awards to the palate. The finish is extremely polished and tight, and those pretty flavors are folded neatly into the wine's silky texture. This wine has many years, or decades, of aging built into its inner clock.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2015Wine EnthusiastWild berry, violet, new leather, forest floor and eucalyptus aromas lift out of the glass. The elegant, full-bodied palate delivers dried black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and dried mint alongside taut, polished tannins. Given the hot, dry growing season, this is a more powerful and concentrated version of Asili. Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 94Vintage 2015Vinous MediaThe 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is an attractive wine with a good bit of the Asili plushness and silkiness that makes wines from this site so alluring. As with all of these wines, the Asili is not as expressive of site as it can be in cooler years.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 97Vintage 2014Wine EnthusiastFragrant and refined, this stunning red opens with captivating aromas of woodland berry, rose, violet, ground spice and a whiff of new leather. On the firm, elegantly structured palate, taut refined tannins intertwine with succulent red cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and chopped herb while fresh acidity lends balance. It's already tempting but still young so give the tannins a few more years to unwind. Drink 2021–2034. KERIN O’KEEFEShelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2014Wine SpectatorSeamless from start to finish, this red features fresh cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and subtle licorice aromas and flavors. Firm yet elegant, with fine harmony and a lingering aftertaste of fruit and mineral elements. Best from 2021 through 2042. 1,111 cases made, 275 cases imported. — BSShelf TalkerFull Page Review
Score: 95Vintage 2014Wine AdvocateThe 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a beautifully complete expression that shows precise and incisive aromatic intensity, followed by firm structure and impressive length. There is a brief interlude of mineral dustiness on the mid-palate that passes briefly to reveal more ripe cherry fruit on the close. I'm not sure what the total acidity is, but this expression gives the impression of being slightly less fresh than some of the other single-vineyard wines in this series of Riservas.Shelf TalkerFull Page Review
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