Piero Busso Barbaresco Gallina Viti Vecchie Riserva 2016 (1500ml)

Purchased in 1999, the domaine farms 1.3 hectares of what is possibly Neive’s best-known MGA (made famous by Bruno Giacosa). Sitting at 240 metres on a low, twisting ridge opposite the Albesani Cru, Busso’s vines face southwest towards the river. Though not particularly high, it’s a windy microclimate. The soil is limestone-rich Sant’Agata marl with sandy and calcareous layers. In 2015, Piero began to separate his oldest vines (planted in the 1950s) for a separate old-vine bottling.

Introduced in 2015, Busso’s Gallina Viti Vecchie is drawn from a small parcel of 1953-planted vines 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 as having more depth, structure and enveloping fruit than the younger-vine cuvée. Consequently, the grapes macerate for up to 60 days with a submerged cap. Aging takes place in large Slavonian oak casks for 36 months before another 36 months in bottle. Compared to his Riserva from Albesani, Busso describes his Gallina as a softer, more charming expression of Barbaresco with sweeter, elegant tannins.