Vineyards and winemaking
Bricco dell'Uccellone is 100% Barbera from a six-hectare, south-facing estate vineyard above Rocchetta Tanaro. Its mixed clay and yellow-sand soils, together with reduced yields, produce fruit of exceptional concentration while preserving the acidity that gives fine Barbera its vitality.
The wine was matured in small French oak barrels and then refined in bottle. This 2008 magnum has aged more slowly than a standard bottle, allowing its powerful fruit and oak structure to integrate over time. Stand upright before opening and decant carefully, checking its development as it meets the air.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep garnet with a dark core and a mature brick-red margin.
Nose
Black cherry, dried blackberry and plum are layered with mint, liquorice, cigar box and polished oak.
Palate
Voluptuous yet still energetic, with concentrated dark fruit carried by Barbera's persistent acidity. The tannins are smooth and integrated, while cocoa, balsamic herbs and savoury earth mark its evolution. The finish is resonant, warm and impressively long.
Food pairing
Share with beef shin braised in Barbera, roast saddle of venison, truffle and Parmesan polenta, or a mature blue-veined cheese. Serve at around 17°C in large glasses and avoid rushing the wine after opening.
Background story
The vineyard's name recalls an elderly woman who lived nearby and was nicknamed “l'uselun”, the big bird. First produced from the 1982 harvest, Bricco dell'Uccellone became Giacomo Bologna's landmark demonstration that low yields and French barriques could reveal an ageworthy, world-class dimension to Barbera.
That achievement altered the international standing of both the grape and the estate. Sommelier's Choice has enjoyed more than twenty years of collaboration with the Bologna family, and this mature magnum captures the ambition, generosity and longevity at the heart of that relationship.
