Busso bottles two cuvées from his 1.2 hectares of vines in the Albesani cru (the other is the Viti Vecchie offered below). On the western hills above Neive, Albesani is one of the shining stars of Barbaresco. In his Barbaresco MGA, Alessandro Masnaghetti writes that here, “…the combination of soil, stature and exposure creates one of the greatest vineyards of the Langhe”. The vines were planted between 30 and 70 years ago at 260 metres above sea level on soils of limestone, clay and marl with an ideal southwest exposure. This fermented naturally in tank, then aged in 25-hectolitre cask for 26 months.
Again, this is old-school classic in terms of its fruit profile and structure. It’s medium- to full-bodied, with sweet fruit suggesting fresh plum with hints of leather, honey and iodine complexity, clove and nutmeg spice and a cool freshness. It’s intense yet elegant, with flesh and complexity. Lovely stuff.