Piero Busso Barbera d'Alba 'Stefanetto' 2021

Pier Busso has been quietly making some of Barbaresco's most beautiful wines over the past few years. That Busso’s wines are not more famous is puzzling, but represents an opportunity for those who love to drink world-class vino without paying hundreds of pounds. 

Founded in the 1950s by Guido Busso, the winery is now headed by his grandson Pierguido ‘Pier’ Busso — a thoughtful, deftly skilled vigneron who knows exactly the kind of wine he wants to make. “Travelling and tasting wine was the best schooling I had,” says Pier, next to scores of empty bottles from top European domaines in his winery. “Nebbiolo is not an easy wine, so I try to make one that gently reflects where it’s grown.” 

Today, Pier farms 10ha of 25-to-80-year-old vines between some of the highest sites in Barbaresco's Neive and Treiso villages, using tressage – the highly skilled practice of braiding the vine canopy pioneered by Lalou Bize-Leroy – to grow traditional Langhe varieties with organic farming.

Perfectly ripe fruit is carefully harvested by hand before undergoing long, slow native yeast fermentations of up to 60 days, followed by ageing in 25hl Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months. The estate's wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

While the old-vine Barbera d'Alba 'Majano' combines juicy summer fruit and peppery freshness, the Barbera d'Alba ‘Stefanetto’ is richer and spicier in character and has serious ageing potential. 

Rich and concentrated – all dark berries and soft spices.