Moccagatta "Bric Balin" Barbaresco 2021
(Piedmont, Italy) - [WA 95] [VM 94] [JD 94] [JS 94] [WS 93]

About the Winery:
The vineyards of Moccagatta, located in the town of Barbaresco, have been in the Minuto family since the second half of 1800, when it came under the ownership of proprietor and patriarch Giovanni Minuto. Giovanni’s son, Luigi, began turning his family’s harvest into wine in 1913 before passing down his life’s work to his sons, Lorenzo and Mario, in the early 50’s.

About the Wine:

• 100% Nebbiolo from the slopes of the Muncagöta cru, which happens to be the dialect form of “Moccagatta”
• Calcareous blue marl soils
• Maceration and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel
• Aged in French oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months
• 1,300 cases produced annually

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points – Wine Advocate:
"The Moccagatta 2021 Barbaresco Bric Balin does not quite have the high tones of the Basarin. Indeed, the tenor here is baritone, with dark fruit, spice and iris root. In terms of mouthfeel, this wine offers a very fine and silky texture that gives the wine a polished or glossy feel. Bric Balin is a proprietary name, but the fruit comes from the Muncagota MGA. This is an 8,000-bottle release." – Monica Larner (Jan 2025)

94 Points – Vinous Media:
"The 2021 Barbaresco Bric Balin has shut down a touch since I last tasted it a year ago. It shows good energy and persistence, along with better oak integration than the straight Barbaresco and Basarin. I would give this time in bottle, as it is pretty unyielding today, uncharacteristically so for a Moccagatta Barbaresco." – Antonio Galloni (Oct 2024)

94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck:
"A saturated dark ruby color, the 2021 Barbaresco Bric Balin reveals a good deal of luxurious oak spice that’s forward in the glass with aromas of black cherry liqueur, toasted baking spice, cedar, dried orange peel, and espresso. Medium to full-bodied, it saturates the palate with ripe tannins, concentrated richness of fruit, and evenly balanced acidity that lasts through the long finish, with lovely undercurrents of dark minerals. A modern style, but with a lot of depth and complexity, it deserves cellaring to see if it will harmonize, and I do think it will. Drink 2027-2047." – Audrey Frick (May 2024)

94 Points -James Suckling:
"Spice box, toasted nuts, wild cherries and sandalwood on the nose. Firm and chewy, full-bodied, with broad and muscular tannins. Pretty wood spice. Needs a few years to come together. Try in 2027." (Jan 2024)

93 Points – Wine Spectator:
"Vanilla and resin aromas complement the plum, cherry and tobacco flavors in this flamboyant red. Clove and allspice chime in as the dense tannins swell on the compact finish. Best from 2028 through 2043. 1,300 cases made, 433 cases imported." – Bruce Sanderson (Mar 2025)