Ugo Lequio Barbaresco Gallina 2017

The Gallina vineyard is one of the best crus in Barbaresco, made famous by Bruno Giacosa  in the 1970's and 1980's (Giacosa Gallina can sell for $250 a bottle!).  Today, Ugo Lequio is synonymous was the Gallina vineyard.  His Barbaresco comes from the best part of the Gallina (hen vineyard), named Cascina Nuova (new farmhouse).  Older vines were planted in 1953, 1963 and 1971, and are famous for their elegance.  

In the winery, Ugo Lequio ages the wine in 25 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels for 20 months, much longer than is required.  This is the old winemaking style.  The resulting wines have less oak and more purity. Ugo's wines are always given high marks and praise by the press, but somehow he has always remained under the radar.  Even in the torrid 2015 vintage, the wines somehow remained fresh.  

2016 was considered a near perfect year in terms of weather and this vintage will be one to cellar.  The beautiful aromas are all there; violet, cinnamon, mint, persimmon, rose petals, just ripe cherry, licorice...  I have tasted this wine against other 2016 at the same price point and the Ugo Lequio Barbaresco Gallina is consistently my favorite.  It is just very classic in nature - the perfect balance of tannin, acid and oak.  It is lacking nothing and has nothing in excess.  If reminds us of why Barbaresco is one of the greatest wines in the world.