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+--- Thread: TNs on 12 barberas (/thread-7562.html)
- newsguy - 05-27-2002
went to a tasting on saturday: 12 mid-range barberas for $10. this was my first major exposure to barberas. here are my tasting notes, in descending order of preferance:
1998 Sottimano d'Asti Pairolero ($22.99) Deep black, purple. Big complex nose of dark red fruits. Gobs of fruit plus chocolate in the mouth. A huge midpalate and a long, expanding finish. Plus a fairly heavy dose of tannins. Could use another 2-3 years, and I'm guessing could go 5-7. EXC.
1997 Mauro Veglio d'Alba Cascina Nuova ($24.99) Blackish burgundy. Very nice nose of earth, dark fruits, and a hint of tar - reminiscent of a bordeaux. Big fruit on the midpalate, with slight drying tannins. Drinking very nicely now, but could improve for another year or two. EXC.
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1998 Mauro Molina d'Alba Vigna Gattere ($24.99) Color of grape juice. Nose, tastes of berries and dark red fruits. Nice mouthfeel and finish. Medium tannins. Needs a couple years. VG++
1998 Giovanni Manzone d'Alba La Serra ($17.99) Blackish purple. Nice nose of plum and barnyard. Tastes of plum, perfume and bubble gum. VG+
1999 Luciano Sandrone d'Alba ($21.99) Black. Big nose and tastes of toast and dark fruits. VG+
2000 La Spinetta d'Asti Ca' di Pian ($21.99) Blackish purple. Nose of barnyard, tar and dark fruit. Tastes of cassis and bubble gum, with a light, elegant mouthfeel. Smelled like a bordeaux, tasted a lot like a California cab. VG+
1997 Clerico d'Alba Trevigne ($17.99) Blackish purple, brownish at the edges. Strong nose of barnyard, meat and wood. Smooth tastes of plum and a hint of cassis. VG+
1999 Bochis d'Alba Vigna le Masserie ($22.99) Blackish purple. Very grapey nose. Tastes of grape and bubble gum. Simple, but very tasty. VG
1997 Claudio Alario Barbera Valletta ($21.99) Brownish purple. Nose of grilled meats and plums. Seems to be at its peak. VG
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1997 Paitin d'Alba Campolive ($21.99) Blackish, with burgundy/brown at rim. Nose of smoky oak, plum and cherry. Rather diluted taste of berries that did expand a bit on the finish. Light mouthfeel. Smells better than it tastes. Good
2000 Elio Altare d'Alba ($16.99) Purple. Nose of prunes (strong) and licorice. Light fruit flavors. Good
1998 Azelia d'Alba Vigneto Punta ($22.99) Blackish purple, looking almost orange at the rim. Light grape and spice flavors. Decent, but nothing special.
The first two wines were by far my favorites of the day and the ones I purchased. I would definitely recommend them. The middle seven are quality wines and might be ones you like. I wouldn't bother with the last three.
So, the bottom line for me on barbera (at least at this price point) as a varietal is: It's a nice alternative to chiantis. But I would generally prefer to spend $20+ on a cab, syrah, zin, shiraz or bordeaux.
- scimmiatinit - 05-29-2002
Dear Newsguy I can agree, more or less, with Your classification of these barberas exept for the one of Altare, one of the best producers of the new style Piedmont wines...
but what I really do not understand is Your final considarations. Nice alternative to Chiantis..? I think that what is special about Italian vitiviniculture is the great abundance of different typical grapes varieties and different terroirs. Barbera is an experience worth of (despiting the price....). You can prefer, of course, cab, zin, syrah, shiraz, and whatever but from where? ..and which style?. Be aware about this sort of generalization! I think that when We talk about Cab there is (or should be) a big difference between a Chilean, or Australian, California, French or Italian expecially if You say $20+..... maybe You are talkin' about "globalized Cab taste" but if You love that I am not surprised if You will never fall in love with Barbera...or Dolcetto,Nebbiolo, Aglianico,Sangiovese Primitvo,Negroamaro,Nero d'Avola...
- Innkeeper - 05-29-2002
Newsy, if you check my posts on Italian Barbera you will find that I usually spend between $7 & $14 on it. Don't think I've ever gone over $15. When recommending it, I always tell folks, the less you spend, the better. The reason for this is that the bigger barberas are almost all too concentrated for that grape, and heavily oaked to compensate for the strong rubbery flavor. These are usually made by the folk's who also make Barolo and Barbaresco as a less expensive alternative.
The barberas I'm talking about are light wines with high acidity, moderate complexity, and low oak. Very refreshing food wines. American Barbera is another story. Hard to believe they are made from the same grape. Many are made from old vines first planted decades ago by Italian immigrants. Some of these are fine for quaffing, and can be had for the $15 - $22 range. They are well worth it, and are comparable in quality to the others you mentioned.
- jock - 05-29-2002
There are Barberas and there are Barberas. The ones from Asti tend to be lighter and the ones from Alba tend to have a lot more character.
Bruno Giacosa and Enzo Boglietti both make teriffic Barbera d'Alba with great RPQ.