Damilano Barbera d’Asti 2020

#61 in Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022

The name Damilano carries serious weight throughout all of Piedmont. They’re a food and winemaking institution. Not only are they known for being one of the oldest and most consistent wineries in Barolo dating back to the late 1800’s, but the family also owns and operates a Michelin-starred restaurant in La Morra.

Ever since Giacomo Damilano took over the family business in 1935, a revolution in the winery and the vines has resulted in the appropriate nickname ‘the jewel of the Langhe’. While their world-famous Barolo holdings have gotten most of the press, the critics could just not ignore their Monferrato Barbera d’Asti drawn from low hills mostly between 150 and 400 meters of altitude.

The 2020 Damilano Barbera d’Asti is a force to be reckoned with, a big, juicy wine with a pretty modest price tag. Utilizing fruit from an 11-hectare vineyard in Casorzo, with the average vine age of over 30 years, their Barbera is inky black to the rim with great depth and lots of purple and black fruited flavors.