BARICCI
One of the founding members of the Consorzio del Brunello, a group of twenty-nine producers who in 1968 created the basis for the Brunello DOC before it became DOCG, Baricci is one of the most popular Tuscan producers we work with directly. Up until that time most Brunello producers didn't even bottle their wine, but rather would sell in demijohns or large containers for bulk. Nello Barrici was born in the town of Montalcino and his family bought the estate in 1953. The property sits on the southeast corner of the Montosoli hill, which is part of the Versante Senese—a slope in the region that runs towards Sienna. They make 1500 cases a year of Brunello and 1500 cases of Rosso di Montalcino, all from estate fruit. Baricci could sell 100% of their wine as Brunello, but they still make a Rosso due to maturation and space issues. Nello has a son and a daughter named Graziella, whose two sons—Federico and Francesco Buffi—now run the property. The wines are known for their cooler, earthier flavor and delicacy on the palate. They don’t have the same ripeness that many wines grown in the south of Montalcino exhibit due to the cooler climate and the sun shadow over the vineyard. The wines are aged in traditional botte—larger used barrels made from Slovenian oak that don’t impart much wood flavor.