Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva "Asili" DOCG 2020
(Piedmont, Italy) - [JD 96] [VM 96] [WA 95] [DM 95] [WS 95]

About the Winery:
Produttori del Barbaresco exclusively vinifies Nebbiolo grapes from the vineyards owned by the 50 member-growers in within the Barbaresco DOCG appellation.

In any given vintage a Barbaresco and a Nebbiolo Langhe are produced. The former, first released in the 1958 vintage, is made by assembling grapes from different fully grown vineyards. This is the flagship wine of the winery, known all over the world for the solid quality and great value that it represents. The latter, first released in 1975, is made with a selection of grapes from younger vineyards in within the region. It is suited for earlier consumption and it is a great way to introduce one’s palate to the beauty of the Nebbiolo grape and the Barbaresco terroir.

In great vintages only, nine single vineyards are produced and released after four years under the Riserva (Reserve) program. These wines are produced from a selection of grapes sourced from nine historical premium sites within the Barbaresco village boundaries. Historical vineyards, known for centuries for producing high quality grapes and now worldwide famous also thanks to the Produttori del Barbaresco legacy. Their names are Asili, Montefico, Montestefano, Muncagota, Ovello, Pajè, Pora, Rabajà, Rio Sordo.

First released in 1967, they are vinified and aged with exactly the same style in order to show their different personalities at their best and purest form. A tasting of the nine "Produttori Crus" is therefore an unique experience, just like a walk through the hills of Barbaresco can be!

About the Vintage:
The 2020 vintage began with a relatively mild and dry winter, temperatures above average and precipitations and snowfalls few and far between.
The first part of spring was relatively dry and sunny, ensuring a homogeneous resumption of plant growth, with bud breaking starting at the beginning of March. A couple of rainy days in April and more so in May when the climate was unstable climate and continued until late June. On the one hand, the advantage built up at the beginning of spring was worn out by the slowing down in plant growth, while on the other hand, the accumulation of water in the soil, combined with not overly high temperatures during the summer, prevented water stress issues. As far as production volume is concerned, green harvest was necessary in the summer to balance a relatively abundant crop.

The “heat wave” came in August with two weeks of day temperature above 90°F. Some rain at the end of the month helped to cool down the climate helping a more balance ripening of the grapes. First three weeks of September were mild with little temperature excursion between night and day, last week brought cooler nights and helped a better aromatic concentration.

Nebbiolo proved to be in excellent condition when it was ready for picking at the very beginning of October. Growth was constant, rather than exponential, with nice balance of aromas and tannins. The early start of the season and the good water supply through the summer kept a good acidity level while also allowing excellent sugar accumulation.

In conclusion, also considering grape ripening control data, the 2020 vintage in Barbaresco can be said to be extremely good with points of excellence, not as full bodied as some of the vintages before, but complete and complex enough to produce medium-long ageing potential wines.

Technical Details:
Grape variety: 100% Nebbiolo
MGA: Asili
Vineyard size: 2.28 hectares (5.63 acres) 
Vineyards exposure: south / south - west
Soil: calcareous limestone with sandy veins
Vinification: fermentation at 30°c/85°f / skin contact time of 28 days / malolactic completed
Ageing: 30 months in large oak barrels / 9 months in bottles
Bottling date: May 2024
Total production: 13,333 bottles
Vintage: ripe vintage, intense red fruit aromas, balanced tannins and long finish
Vineyard character: intense and complex wines, great refinement and breed, lots of red fruit notes
Longevity: 20 years from the vintage
Vineyard owners: Conti, Giordano, Lembo, Viglino
Food match: fresh egg-pasta, risotto, white and red meat.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a slightly darker ruby color and is a bit firmer in character compared to Paje' and Mucagotta. The Asili has the most depth as well and draws you in on the nose with notes of black cherries, hints of sweet licorice, fresh leather. The palate, which is seamless and in line with the nose, also captures the polished, smooth, ripe tannins, and it’s long on the palate, with a very slowly floating finish. I’m impressed with the polish and evenness that both the Paje and the Asili are currently expressing. Drink this over the coming 20 years. (Drink between 2025-2045)." - Audrey Frick (May 2025)

96 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 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. (Drink between 2025-2035)." - Antonio Galloni (Oct 2024)

95 Points - 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." - Monica Larner (Jan 2025)

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The sandy calcareous limestone soil is associated with the exquisite finesse this site can achieve, and the 2020 is certainly the most elegant of the three cru I tasted. It exudes a purity as well as measured generosity of fruit. Black raspberry and currants are infused with violet essence. It is perhaps a bit more approachable and rounded than usual, almost sumptuous in its layers, then it tightens up as firm, fine tannins drive through to the intense, stony-mineral finish. With just 2.28 hectares shared between three growers, Asili is among the cooperative’s smallest holdings (only Pajè is less)." - Michaela Morris (Nov 2024)

95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A dense, energetic style, boasting cherry, blackberry, plum, earth and tobacco flavors. Dense and enlivened with resonant tannins that define the long, sinewy finish. Tar and licorice accents emerge on the aftertaste. Best from 2029 through 2047." - Bruce Sanderson (Oct 2025)