I first visited Trediberri now six years ago at the behest of our good friend Massimo Martinelli who had worked with this micro-cellar’s co-owner Nicola Oberto’s father Federico for over five decades in the cellars of nearby Renato Ratti.  Massimo was working with Nicola to make his own Bricco Mollea wines at Trediberri and told me that he thought the then-infant winery was poised soon to join the top echelon of La Morra producers and worth getting to know.  And, subsequently, a few hours with Nicola, walking his parcels of Rocche dell’Annunziata and Berri and tasting through a few barrels and bottles made an instant convert out of me!  The stuff coming out of this cellar was top, top notch!  Unfortunately, the wines weren’t available in the States then and I had to content myself with drinking the odd bottle when I could find one in Italy- until several years ago, finally, Oberto found an importer he could work with (not me, alas) and now we are fortunate enough to obain an annual allocation of Trediberri, albeit in miniscule quantities. And, of course, the label has gone supernova amongst those with insider knowledge of the Barolo area. Massimo is rarely wrong about this kind of stuff! 

A bit of background first.  ‘Trediberri’ means ‘the three from Berri,’ a reference to the three founders; ex-sommelier Nicola, papa Federico and another longtime colleagye. The star of the show is the Berri cru- the Annunziata vineyard sitting on the back side of La Morra hill in which the trio now own about 12.5 acres. The small cantina also happens to front on the iconic Rocche dell’Annunziata MGA of which some seven well-placed acres are also part of the estate.  In the 2020 vintage presents us with the best set of Barolos we’ve tried to date from Trediberri and a true coming out for the Berri MGA, a higher altitude site tucked into the Cherasco side of La Mora facing the Alps rather than Barolo.  What used to be a notably cool site, only marginally warm enough to ripen Nebbiolo, is now in the sweet spot of climate change, producing polished and well-filled, actually quite rich, Barolos, albeit with some sometimes rustic cool climate tannins.  This characterizes perfectly the Trediberri 2020 Berri.  It’s warm and cool at the same time with heady hoisin, camphor-y plum and cherry aromatics and a head shop’s worth of exotic patchouli and cinnamon that lead to a luscious, soundly tannic finish that has already begun to round into form.  This is one of the most expressive 2020s we’ve tried; surprisingly rich for the vintage, but with all of its clearly defined aromatics and structure.  A very impressive Barolo indeed!  Alas, only a case available. 

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Wine Enthusiast: This wine opens with aromas of dark cherries gently stewed in their own juice. This fruit core is subtly warmed by an infusion of mixed spices and the delicate astringency of tea leaves. Wildflowers weave through the profile, introducing a sweet, spicy floral aspect. The tannins are fine and well-integrated, providing structure without overwhelming the palate. 97 points

Vinous: Nicola and Stefania Oberto may very well put Berri on the map with their 2020 Barolo Berri. What a wine. Deep, soaring and wonderfully expressive, the 2020 is stunning in its beauty. Dark red/purplish fruit, orange peel, cinnamon, rose petal and lavender are all amplified in a vertical, soaring Barolo of magnificent intensity. Silky, polished tannins round things out in style. The 2020 is pure and sensual to the core - a total pleasure bomb. 96 points