Cascina Baricchi – Natale Simonetta is a genius

We went to taste at Cascina Baricchi a couple of months ago only because he was a friend of our neighbour and she liked their wines. We left home with the idea of going on a hike in the vineyards, not a winetasting. Natale Simonetta welcomed us in his home and winery with cheese and delicious salame, we talked for 2 hours and then he asked if he could let us taste some of his wines.

We started with Visage de Canailles, a champenoise method Nebbiolo rosé that blew us away: the finesse of the best Champagne, the structure of Nebbiolo and something unique which could only come from our Langhe hills. Then, his 100% Timorasso, a white from piemonte that is probably the most promising grape in the whole region. Complex on the nose, fresh and almost tannic on the palate. Structured and very easy to drink, an almost impossible combination. The third wine was a bottle that presents itself as “Vino Rosso”, which Natale poured blind for us. It was light in color, just like Nebbiolo, but as soon as we smelled it took us to a completely different world: it was almost like the wine spoke french. I immediately wished we had a Grand Cru from Burgundy to compare it to stellar 100% Pinot Noir that we were tasting. Perfect in its balance, the complexity and the unique voice Natale’s “Vino Rosso” is a true gem in Langhe.

His Barbaresco Riserva is also something incredible: the best way to describe is nebbiolo grape with a french interpretation. We soon found out that Natale has worked and learned everything he knows working for the best wineries in Cote de Nuit.