Friday Flight: Barbera 4 - 8pm $16 for 5 pours
For this Friday's Flight let's focus on Barbera. It's on of my favorite grapes and I've recently been amazed at two that I think might be the best I've ever had.
No grape has known such a dramatic upgrade in its fortunes and image in the last 20 years than Barbera in Piemonte, north-west Italy.
This grape was once regarded as rather ordinary, partly because it was so widely planted, the most common Piemontese grape in fact. (A similar fate had befallen Shiraz in Australia, Zinfandel in California and Malbec in Argentina – all now considerably elevated in reputation.) Light, tart Barbera was the everyday drinking wine on Piemontese tables, something to wash down the wondrous local cuisine and its succession of courses, paving the way on special occasions for a bottle of a serious red wine made from Nebbiolo.
The man who first put Barbera on a pedestal, or at least demonstrated that it was capable of making serious wine rather than local mouthwash, was the late Giacomo Bologna of the Braida estate whose Bricco dell'Uccellone was the first internationally marketed Barbera. The wine, which has since been followed by hundreds of increasingly expensive imitators, owed its distinction to two factors, much lower-than-usual yields and ageing in French oak barriques.
Like the much softer local grape Dolcetto, in Piemonte Barbera has traditionally been planted on sites too cool or poorly exposed to bring the late-ripening Nebbiolo to full ripeness. (Dolcetto ripens early relative to Barbera, but Nebbiolo typically needs a further two weeks on the vine after Barbera is picked.) It is an extremely vigorous vine and even the DOC laws sanction yields as high as 70 hl/ha so the temptation has been to allow this prolific vine to over-produce. Barbera's natural excess of acidity and shortage of tannin are accentuated at high yields. But if Barbera is grown on sites specifically suited to it and pruned carefully, more concentrated wines are the result.
The wines from Asti tend to be a brighter ruby/garnet color when compared to Alba with flavors of cherries, blackberries, and plums. I often find more ferrous mineral and spicy notes in Barbera from Asti. From personal experience they seem more structured, powerful and energetic. Like all Barbera, they are low in tannins and naturally high in acid with a nice body and fruitiness. Barberas from Alba seem to have a darker pigment with fuller body. Often I smell and taste more violets, dark fruit and vanilla. Barbera d’Alba is often aged in barrique (small French oak casks) and gives you a bolder rounder and riper flavor with bright acidity.
Cantina di Casteggio Barbera 2022 $15 - The only wine not from the Piedmont region but from Oltrepò Pavese, LombardyThe nose opens with intense perfume of black fruits — blackberry and blueberry — layered with tart cherry, violet, and a subtle earthy undertone. Anise and dried herbs emerge with time in the glass.
Marchesi Della Rocchetta Valmorena Barbera D’Asti 2023 $19 - In the nineteenth century, the Marchese Leopoldo Incisa (1792-1871), a member of the Royal Academy of Agriculture in Turin, made significant contributions to research and knowledge in the fields of enology and grape varieties of that period. The legendary Sassicaia was created by another member of the family, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, a passionate winemaker and a true visionary. He married the Countess Clarice della Gherardesca, and moved from Piemonte to Bolgheri in Tuscany.
Ca' del Baio 2024 Barbera d'Alba "Paolina" $19 - Paolina di Cà del Baio is a Barbera d'Alba DOC that embodies the essence of the Piedmontese terroir with elegance and intensity. Produced in the vineyards surrounding Alba, the beating heart of the denomination, this wine is born from the Barbera grape variety, capable of expressing vibrant acidity and a persistent fruity character. The Barbera d'Alba here presents itself with a captivating balance between freshness and structure, the result of careful vinification and aging that enhances its complexity without weighing it down.
Olim Bauda Barbera D’Asti La Villa 2024 $20 - La Villa has been Olim Bauda's favourite wine for decades – not because it is particularly loud, but because it seems so natural. No barrique, no spectacle, but plenty of character. The secret lies in the balance: fruit and freshness, elegance and energy – everything is there, nothing imposes itself. Bright ruby in the glass with a youthful violet colour. The bouquet plays on the fresh side: sour cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, a hint of violet and a delicate mineral note.
Mauro Mollino DOC Barbera d’Alba 2024 $23 - The 2024 is a delightful expression of the Barbera grape variety from the Alba region. Pouring into the glass, it displays a deep ruby-red hue, hinting at its youthful vibrancy. On the nose, the wine exudes a bouquet of ripe red fruits, including cherries and raspberries, interwoven with subtle floral undertones. These fruity notes are complemented by a touch of spice and a hint of vanilla from the oak aging process.
Bonus Wines
Cantine Del Pino Barbera D’Asti 2024 $26 - The Vacca family has been living and working the vines at Cantina del Pino, one of the oldest estates in Barbaresco, since the 1920s when Giuseppe Vacca, bought the property. Branching out from the legendary Produttori del Barbaresco Cooperative, Renato Vacca (the great grandson of Giuseppe Vacca) convinced his father, Adriano, to start their own label in 1997. In 2013, Renato's wife Franca joined the winery, and took over winemaking when Renato sadly passed in 2020. This single vineyard (Bricco Gallinetta) barbera, from sandy soils, was vinified in stainless. Tart and bright, with wild cherry, raspberry, and morello plum woven through the medium palate, with flocked tannins hugging the sides, and salinity lingering on the lightly warming finish. Though 14%, this has fantastic freshness on the palate.
Cigliutti Barbera D’Alba Vigna Serrabella 2023 $30 - The 2023 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Serraboella is a total delight. Bright, plump and juicy, the 2023 is wonderfully expressive right out of the gate. A rush of dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, blood orange and cinnamon fills out the layers. Soft contours frame it all effortlessly, while floral top notes lift the finish. Delicious.
Scarzello Barbera D’Alba Superiore 2022 $43 - A small, 12 acre vineyard located in the heart of Barolo, the Scarzello estate has a long and impressive history. Since its very beginning some three-hundred years ago, having been one of the only estates not owned by the extremely powerful Marchese Falletto (the grandfather of the Barolo wine), Scarzello has prided itself on its independence and its individuality.