Michele Chiarlo’s Barbaresco Faset 2021 is a single-vineyard Nebbiolo from a tiny, 1-hectare cru in the municipality of Barbaresco. The estate frames Faset as an “icon cru” and emphasizes that it is made only in “excellent” or “exceptional vintages,” underlining its limited-production intent. In 2021, the producer’s own harvest notes award the vintage five stars (★★★★★), an internal endorsement that signals strong confidence in the year’s quality, even if it is not a third-party critic score.

The Faset vineyard sits near the summit of a hill with southwest exposure at 210–270 meters. Michele Chiarlo details soils of “greyish-white calcareous marl with bands of sand veins,” described as mineral-rich, including magnesium and manganese—conditions that typically suit Nebbiolo’s tannin structure and aromatic lift.

Winemaking is traditional and measured. The wine ferments on skins for “17/18 days” in 55-hectoliter oak vats, using a gentle “shower” system to wet the cap, with temperatures moving between “30°C and 27°C.” Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. Aging is extended: at least two years total, including “18 months in large oak casks,” followed by bottle refinement. That regimen points to an approach aimed at detail and longevity rather than overt wood impact.

In the estate’s tasting description, Faset shows a “garnet color with brilliant hues” and a nose marked by “dried rose petals, small red fruits, minerals, and fine spices” (Michele Chiarlo). A retailer listing reports 14% alcohol and suggests a 2024–2030 drinking window, with a 90/100 retailer rating (Tannico).

Notably, no major professional-critic score for the 2021 vintage is cited in the available materials, so the strongest praise here comes from the producer’s five-star vintage assessment and the wine’s tightly defined cru credentials—further highlighted by the claim that it was the first Barbaresco DOCG distributed by La Place de Bordeaux (Michele Chiarlo).