Introduced in 2015, Busso’s Gallina Viti Vecchie is drawn from a small parcel of 1953 vines planted in the heart of the Gallina cru. The soil in this part of the vineyard is rich in calcareous clay (bluish-grey marl), but there is also some sand. Piero Busso describes this wine has having more depth, structure and enveloping fruit than the younger-vine cuvée. Consequently, the grapes are macerated for up to 60 days with a submerged cap and the aging is in large Slavonian oak casks for 36 months, prior to another 36 months in bottle.
The result is an exceptional, old-school Barbaresco that gets better and better with air. It’s dark, brooding and tightly wound now, yet with air there are more and more florals and pretty red and dark fruits. The finish is long and savoury with a deep structure that say’s “stick me in the cellar!”