Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Anna Maria Abbona, 2020

Grapes

Nebbiolo

Vintage report

The 2020 growing season in Piedmont was defined by warmth and drought, with a dry summer that concentrated sugars rapidly and pushed alcohol levels higher than usual. Yields were down across the board, particularly in Barolo and Barbaresco, where the Nebbiolo vines — always sensitive to stress — shut down earlier than growers would have liked. A saving grace came in the form of cooler nights and some well-timed rain in late summer that slowed the final ripening and preserved the acidity that Nebbiolo absolutely depends on. The result was a harvest that rewarded those who waited and watched carefully.

The wines that emerged are concentrated and structured, with Nebbiolo showing real grip and dark, brooding fruit — the kind of vintage that suits the variety's tannic backbone rather than fighting it. Barbera and Dolcetto came through well too, with the warmth lending them a roundness that makes them genuinely pleasurable now. The top Barolos and Barbarescos are still tightly coiled; drink them if you must, but the serious bottles want until 2026 at the earliest, with the finest crus comfortably holding until 2035 and beyond.