Well to be honest, Barbera sometimes gets a bum-rap. This varietal is the third most planted in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano) and has in many instances been used worldwide as a blending grape in cheap table wines. But not always!
The most well known Barberas come from the D'Asti DOC (Piedmont - NorthWestern corner of Italy) and some are truly world-class-wines. Most of the best Barberas are still coming from Italy, but some success is being found in Argentina, Uraguay, Chile, South Africa, Australia and California.
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WINE A
clear visual:
- medium cherry centre
- pale strawberry rim and the tiniest hint of brick... it looked like a 2007 to me - was 2006
- moderate legs
clean nose, moderate ++ intense notes of:
- hot alcohol
- leather
- plum/cherry
- vanilla and anise
clean palate, 0 dryness, full- acids, moderate tannins, moderate+ notes of:
- berries
- vanilla
- leather
- light minerality
a light bodied wine, moderate+ alcohol (13.5%), and decent length on the palate at 6 seconds++
I should start by saying that this wine, especially after breathing for 15 minutes, tasted for all the world like a thin, acidic port! Sounds wierd perhaps but as a dedicated port drinker I swear it is so...
A decent glass of wine - I found myself enjoying it more with a little nibble of cheese rather than on it's own. I would buy it again, but probably to start a meal in the summer, or to go with a baked pasta.
2006 Barbera D'Asti (DOC) "Ricossa", Italy, $22
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