This wine was a 2004 Barbera D'Asti, made by Giacomo Bologna, an amazing wine producer, who according to my father, is credited with the marriage between the barbera grape and barrel aging.
I actually mentioned this in my last barbera review (La Spinetta "Cà di Pian" Barbera D'Asti 2008) but I thought I'd reiterate some grape facts for some of you forgetful readers. Barbera, the grape, is actually the second most planted grape varietal in Italy- and is actually the most planted grape in Piedmont, home of the "Nebbiolo Brothers"- Barolo and Barbaresco.
At any rate, this was a real spank-daddy of a wine. I could tell it was something as soon as I started pouring it at the dinner table. Most of the time, when I praise the color and overall appearance of a wine, I've got to look at it in-glass for a while, move it around, and shine the kitchen lights on it. But not this one. As soon as I saw that gorgeous red liquid coming out of the bottle and crashing into the bottom of our glasses, I knew we were in for something special. The deep pour, the seemingly glowing colorful rims of the wine got me really excited. So excited in fact, like I said earlier, that I HAD to write about it.
The nose also sold me. This wine is a classic example where it's more "bouquet" than "aroma." More "fragrance" than "smell." (I like that analogy... Let me know if it makes sense to anybody but me!) It was deeply jammy, the forefront of the nose was dark fruity, with JAMMY red and black currant berries, but it was held together by some classic barrique characteristics- a creamy oak delightfully lingers on the nose. EASILY one of the most fragrant wines I've ever had, I'd say the notes come through just as powerfully as they do in many gewürtztraminers.
And finally, the wine did not disappoint in the taste category either. The nose components translated directly into the flavor profile, but that's not where the tasting ended. The oaky component of this wine integrated one of the most pleasant mouth feels I've ever had in an Italian wine. The warming 14.5% alcohol and its big dryness begged me to give it some cheese loving (and I did, I get to that in the next section.) It was a weightless medium body (once again, let me know if this sounds like nonsense,) and the flavors all came through in a balanced package: great flavors up-front, an active mid palate, and a warm, dry finish.
 |
| Robiola is a white and milky cheese- REALLY tasty. |
Another thing I LOVED about this wine was its food-friendliness. This wine turned an already awesome Robiola cheese into the feature of my nearly two hour dinner. My dinner consisted of four courses: Appetizer (rustic style pizzas, fresh tomato salad, and robiola cheese) Pasta (trinette with a light tomato sauce and olive oil) Red Meat (ox tail and sausage from the tomato sauce) and finally Lamb (roasted with spices and herbs.) We opened the bottle at the end of our appetizer while the cheese was still on the table, and a quick taste of the two together was the great lasting impression of the entire meal. I'd definitely recommend the pairing!
WOW. Look at all those words. Sorry if I started rambling towards the end there- but when I love a wine, I've gotta let that love out and give respect where it's due. A "mad props" to the winemaker, you made my week with this jammy fruit-bomb of a wine!
