Angelo Negro Basarin Barbaresco 2021

Azienda Agricola Angelo Negro e Figli is one of the most historic family-run wine estates in Piedmont, Italy. While the estate is rooted north of the Tanaro River in the Roero region, they also hold choice parcels across the river in Barbaresco (Neive) and Barolo (Serralunga d'Alba).

The Negro family has been farming vineyards in Monteu Roero since 1670 (documented back to Perdaudin Negro). Modern growth accelerated under Giovanni Negro, who famously vinified the first dry Roero Arneis in 1971. The estate spans roughly 70 hectares under organic, sustainable practices (certified Equalitas). Their style leans traditional—favoring spontaneous fermentations, longer skin macerations with submerged caps, and aging in large Slavonian oak casks (botte grande) rather than heavy new French oak barriques.

Basarin is an esteemed Single Vineyard / Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva (MGA) located in Neive, near the boundary between Barbaresco and Neviglie.

Basarin sits on steep, high-elevation slopes. The soils consist of a mix of limestone, clay, and sandy veins, giving the Nebbiolo a characteristic balance of muscular firm structure and aromatic lift.

The grapes, 100% Nebbiolo, are hand-harvested in October from the single-vineyard Basarin cru, using small 20 kg crates to ensure the fruit remains intact and cool until it reaches the cellar. The winery uses the traditional "submerged cap" method (macerazione a cappello sommerso). For the 2021 vintage, the skins remained in contact with the juice for a minimum of 20 days, for gentle extraction of color, aromatics, and fine-grained tannins, without over-extracting astringent seed polyphenols. The juice is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, preserving the pristine fruit purity and floral aromatics.

The wine is aged in large neutral Slavonian oak barrels (botti). These large-format barrels provide very gentle oxygenation without imparting heavy vanilla or toasted wood flavors, allowing the Nebbiolo’s natural red fruits, forest floor, and mineral nuances to shine through. The wine matures for 18 months in oak barrels and 8 months in bottle before release, in order to harmonize the tannins.