Ada Nada Cichin Barbaresco Riserva 2018

Simply lovely! A whimsically approachable Barbaresco with elegance and charm to its very core, from a tireless family producer with roots stretching back to 1919 – this 2018 single-cru Riserva from Treisa is every bit fit for a queen, for a pauper-like discount of nearly 57% off.

It’s no wonder a wine from a cru called Cichin (translating roughly to “sweetheart”) is so magnetically amiable. It is called Ada Nada’s “statement wine” and grows on 55-year-old vines on south-facing slopes, harvested only when the grapes reach supreme ripeness. Hand harvesting, destemming, crushing, and maceration take place for 15 days, then aging in large oak barrels for 36 to 50 months, with only 200 cases produced a year.

The family estate was started in the hilly, storybook Piedmont village of Treiso in 1919 by Carlo Nada, who passed it to his son Giovanni Nada, who passed it to his son Gian Carlo Nada and his wife Ada, who passed it to their daughter Anna Lisa Nada and her husband Elvio Cazzaro in 2001, and still runs the winery to this day. Family affair, through and through. As time and generations have passed, the holdings have grown from three hectares to nine, though the commitment to old vines, hand harvesting, and limited production wines has remained staunchly the same as it always was.

The wine is a nearly translucent ruby displaying enchanting aromas of cherry, woodsy earth, and white truffle, as the palate brings in dried plums, red cherries, white pepper, salty minerals, a sprinkle of blood orange zest, and a wonderfully mossy earth accent. Its character is all class – yet it has an approachability not always found in Nebbiolo of this youthful age. This is what we LOVE about small family producers – all authenticity and tradition, made with thought, care, and precision. Nearly 60% off seals the deal, and orders of three or more bottles dissolves all shipping fees!

PAIRING IDEAS: The earthy and spiced notes in this wine make for a dreamy pair to this crispy mushroom cacio e pepe. Unreal.