Fabio Gea Mushroom Panda 2021

Fabio Gea is a young Piedmont winemaker working tiny plots, less than a hectare, around the Bricco in Barbaresco that he inherited from his grandfather. His output is so small that he hand numbers each bottle, and some carry no label at all, as with this Mushroom Panda. It blends Nebbiolo, the great grape of Barbaresco, with the earlier ripening Dolcetto, farmed biodynamically. Piedmont's climate is continental, with warm days and cool, often foggy nights, and the calcareous marl soils of the Langhe hills give Nebbiolo its perfume, high acidity and firm tannin. Gea works naturally, fermenting with native yeasts and intervening as little as possible in the cellar, so the wine speaks of its place rather than its technique. Barrel ageing softens Nebbiolo's grip through slow oxygen exchange while keeping the fruit fresh. The wine is pale to medium ruby, with a nose of red cherry, raspberry, dried rose and tar over earthy, tobacco notes. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with red fruit, grippy but fine tannin, bright acidity and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees, decanted. It suits game, braised meat and mushroom risotto.