2015 Socre Barbaresco Piedmont 750 ml

New York City: For us, it’s part pleasure and part reconnaissance mission. Because so many European wines reach our eastern shores and are claimed by New York restaurants before anyone else gets a shot, we hit our favorite places in the city knowing we’ll get a great meal—and hoping to gather some valuable intel on under-the-radar wines. 

And we scored big when we asked the Piedmontese owner of a SoHo osteria for a drink-now Nebbiolo under a hundred bucks—and he produced the 2015 Socre Barbaresco. Absolutely delicious from the moment the cork was pulled, the garnet-and-crimson Socre is an elegant exemplar of Barbaresco, showing aromas of red currant, rose petal, licorice, and dried herbs—and a roundness on the palate that’s all too rare for young Nebbiolo.  

The Socre Barbaresco was the find of our trip east, and we were positively thrilled with it at the NYC restaurant price of $80 per bottle. But we knew the only way we’d have the chance to enjoy it again was if we struck a deal for a special allocation. So we got to work, thinking of our own cellars, and the Wine Access members who we know will love this rare drink-now Barbaresco at this price. There’s no doubt we’re claiming some for ourselves.

As we were drinking this delicious Nebbiolo with our braised beef agnolotti—and as we were ordering a second bottle—we agreed that if we could manage to get our hands on an allocation, we’d pop open a bottle of the stellar Socre Barbaresco every day. This wine was born for the dinner table—it’ll be great with steak, pizza, pasta, or just about any rich, savory dish you pair it with. 

Socre is an under-the-radar producer with a 150-year history, most of which was dedicated to growing grapes for the local co-op. But in 1958, owner Benedetto Piacentino renovated the vineyards, dedicating more of the land to Nebbiolo and retaining a portion of the grapes for his family’s own winemaking. That trend continued with the current owners—Marco Piacentino, his wife Rosella, and their sons Giulio and Lorenzo—who finally completed the circle when they completed their new winery in 2012. Now all of the family’s grapes are pressed and vinified at the property.

It’s a stunning estate, sitting at between 250 and 290 meters above sea level, and looking out at the village of Barbaresco. Their grapes are all estate-grown, and most come from a small eight-acre patchwork that sits at the foot of the Socre farmhouse. The wine is aged in used 225-liter oak barrels, a winemaking choice that contributes to the early drinking nature of the wine. 

It’s rare that we find a stellar Barbaresco that’s ready to drink, right now, especially at a price like this one. This was the find of our trip to New York, and we got all we could. Now we’re happy to share it with you.