Piero Busso, Barbaresco DOCG, 'Mondino'

A few months ago in Piedmont, somewhere between lunch turning into dinner and another bottle quietly appearing on the table, I found myself in the Barbaresco hills with my family and a close friend, Riccardo, whose family owns a small local winery I’ll be importing later this year. He took us to Tasté, just below Treiso, for truffles and Nebbiolo as the sun slid down behind the hills. The place was buzzing—full dining room, glasses clinking, the sky streaked in orange and pink—and out on the terrace, a single white-clothed table waited for us, dead center, overlooking the vineyards. Riccardo handed me the wine list. I pushed it back and instead asked him and the owner-sommelier to bring me something they loved—something local, something small, something I couldn’t easily get back home but should. There was a pause, a bit of whispering, a quick retreat. Then they returned with Piero Busso’s Mondino, from the iconic 2021 vintage. A name I knew, a bottle I rarely see, and one that arrives in the U.S. in painfully small amounts. From the first pour, the wine was extraordinary—sometimes a bottle hits that perfect high note, everything in balance, everything clear. This was it. The lifted, unmistakable perfume of Nebbiolo, the mineral tension, the structure that makes you sit up a little straighter. This bottle is a perfect example of why Barbaresco matters. Where Barolo is broad-shouldered and imposing—the “king”—Barbaresco is its counterpoint: more refined, more precise, and endlessly seductive. Then the truffles arrived, and it became one of those perfect life moments: kids happily eating buttered pasta shaved with truffles, parents smiling, glasses full, the hills glowing as the light faded. By sheer timing and luck, a small parcel of this wine was already en route to the U.S. through a close importer contact, and I managed to secure some. There isn’t much. The price is right. And for those who care about classic, age-worthy Nebbiolo, this is the real thing.

If you’re just getting into Piedmont, here’s a quick primer. This region in northwest Italy, tucked against the Alps, is one of the world’s great wine landscapes. Its defining grape, Nebbiolo, is famously transparent and unforgiving—it doesn’t hide anything. When grown in the right places, it delivers haunting aromatics, structure, and longevity unlike almost any other red wine. Barbaresco is one of Nebbiolo’s most elegant expressions. Compared to nearby Barolo, Barbaresco tends to be more aromatic and refined, with finer tannins and a silkier texture, while still offering serious depth and aging potential. The 2021 vintage is already being spoken of alongside 2016 and 2019, prized for its rare combination of power, balance, and clarity—wines that are compelling young but built for the long haul.

Piero Busso is one of the reference-point producers of Barbaresco, especially for wines grown in and around the village of Neive, home to some of the appellation’s highest and most expressive vineyards. The estate’s roots run deep: Piero’s father planted Nebbiolo vines by hand in 1948, and today Piero works alongside his children, Pierguido and Emanuela, with the entire family involved in the life of the winery. Farming is organic (certified as of 2019), vineyard work is largely done by hand, and yields are kept naturally low. Fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, macerations are long and gentle, and aging takes place in large, neutral oak casks. The goal is simple and demanding: allow each vineyard to speak for itself.

The Mondino cru comes from a southwest-facing parcel in Neive, planted largely to vines averaging 45 years of age. The soils here are a mix of limestone, clay, and a notable amount of sand, which contributes to Mondino’s signature suppleness and early approachability without sacrificing structure. Farming is organic, officially certified as of the 2019 harvest, with cover crops planted between the rows and most vineyard work done by hand. The grapes are harvested manually, fermented on indigenous yeasts, and macerated slowly to extract nuance rather than power. Aging takes place in large, neutral oak casks before bottling, unfined and unfiltered.

The 2021 Barbaresco Mondino shows aromas of cherry pit, rose petal, plum, orange peel, fennel, and faint exotic spice. On the palate it is firm and precise, with fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, elegant finish marked by an intense mineral presence. It’s beautiful with a long decant (one hour minimum) today and pairs effortlessly with truffle dishes, mushroom risotto, braised meats, or aged cheeses. While compelling now, its greatest rewards lie a few years ahead. This is Barbaresco built to evolve gracefully over time. And it’s worth saying: this is a wine meant to be enjoyed at the table. A serious Nebbiolo like this comes alive with food, conversation, and time—shared with friends over a meal, not poured absentmindedly alongside the television.