Tannic Panic! Issue #38: Barbera Plays it Smooth
Alba, Spice and Everything “Nice”
Barbera is a WONDERFUL grape variety used in the production of red wines, known for its deep color, full body, relatively low tannins (often medium in our infallible opinion), and HIGH levels of acidity (If you like acid, you like Barbera). While it is planted in other parts of the world (e.g. “California”), the vast majority comes from its homeland of Italy, where it is the third most planted black grape variety.
The profile of Barbera often includes (but is absolutely NOT LIMITED TO) blackberry, black cherry, cranberry and raspberry, with leaner versions tending toward more red fruit, while riper ones exhibit more black fruit. It can also have floral aromas such as violets, as well as plenty of spice like black pepper, anise (THE GOOD KIND), and cinnamon. Barbera wines are traditionally “enjoyed” within 2-4 years of bottling and can be made into a variety of styles, from the more common light-bodied and easy-drinking style, to more structured and ageworthy bottlings (LIKE ME!).
DID YOU KNOW… The Barbera grape is valued in warm climate regions due to its naturally high acidity, which allows the wine to retain more freshness. This is because warm climates cause acid levels to deplete more quickly during ripening.
The wine is commonly aged in large neutral oak casks, and some Barbera wines from specific regions verge on jammy with rich vanilla and spice flavors. Overall, Barbera is a versatile grape variety that offers a wide range of quality and variety (LIKE TODAY’S YOUTH).
The grape variety is capable of showing fine expressions of Italian “terroir” and is found in regions such as Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia.
Because our tastings today were contained to 8 bottles of those such Barberas (…Barberae?) coming from the Piedmont region of Italy (what you’ll most commonly find at your local “wine dispensary”), we’ll focus our attention on the factors that contribute to the style produced there for the remainder of this “post”.
LET’S TALK REGIONS…
Barbera d’Alba DOC:
This region covers the viticultural “area of Alba” in Piedmont, known for her undulating landscape laid across chalky, limestone-rich clay soils, producing high-quality, full bodied Barbera wines with bright cherry flavors and tannins.
Barbera d’Asti DOC:
The hills around Asti and Alessandria provinces provide fertile planting ground for Barbera, and the proximity to the river and lower elevations contribute to earlier ripening of grapes, resulting in wines with less tannin and more prominent fruit.
Barbera del Monferrato DOC:
The Barbera del Monferrato DOC is grown on the hills of Monferrato surrounding the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. The region's terroir, characterized by marly calcareous soils near Alessandria and sandy soils from marine sedimentary deposits in the rest of Asti, contributes to the production of full-bodied wines with better aging potential as well as “softer” wines with more “gentle” acidity, “respectively.” The wines from this region are typically lighter and fresher with a “fruity scent” (THE GOOD KIND!).
Colli Tortonesi DOC (not a type of ravioli believe it or not):
This area is located in the southeastern edge of Piedmont. The topography varies from low lying closer to the Po river, to altitudes of over 1500 meters as it rises into the Apennines. The wines often show red fruit and some secondary influences from barrel aging.
… AND NOW FOR THE REVIEWS (IN ORDER OF PRICE):
Profile: Cranberry, cherry, strawberry, blueberry, rose petals, violets, black pepper, chocolate
Palate: Medium tannin, high acid, medium+ body, medium finish
Some nice layers to this one, showing red and blue fruit, chocolate, and floral character with a peppery finish. Good value, nice introduction to Barbera d’Asti.
90 points.
Profile: Blackberry, dried cranberry, cherry, plum, black pepper, mushroom, earth, wet leaves, sassafras, cinnamon, licorice
Palate: Dry, medium+ tannins, medium+ acid, full body, long finish
Our second value play of the day. Very ripe, concentrated style with some earthy and spicy notes adding complexity. Despite the obnoxiously high 15.5% ABV, this wine does come off as “jammy” or “zinfandel-like” Great value Italian wine at this price point.
91 Points.
Profile: Dry erase marker (completely dissipates after a couple of minutes), wet stone, wet leaves, decaying violet, blueberry, blackberry, banana, raw cacao
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, high acid, full body, medium+ finish
This one almost smelled chemical upon first open (dry erase marker), but that aroma completely dissipated after a few minutes. What it revealed was an interesting profile, showing wet stones, earthy notes, decaying flowers, dark berries, banana and raw cacao. Balance is overall pretty good, though has a little harshness to the acidity.
88 points
Profile: Blueberry, blackberry, violet, mocha, earth, bay leaf, thyme
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, high acid, full body, med+ finish
Smooth, with black and blue berry fruit, violets, and some herbal and earthy qualities. Really nice, easy drinking, with more structure than you find in a lot of Barbera. Excellent value, ready to drink now.
NOTE: The vintages for the two Abbona wines we reviewed this week differ, so please be mindful of this when considering our reviews comparatively.
91 points
Profile: Cherry, earth, berries, vanilla, smoke, rubber (dissipates as wine opens up)
Palate: Dry, medium- tannin, medium+ acidity, full body, medium finish
Pretty good concentration, but not that interesting on its own, and doesn’t have the layers and texture that I’m looking for at this price. It also has a bit of an uninviting rubbery character upon first sniffypoo, though this dissipates as the wine opens. For the price, you can do better.
88 points.
Profile: Black cherry, raspberry, plum, cinnamon, sassafras, wet stones, hint of yeast
Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium- tannin, full body, medium+ finish
This wine showed some berry and stone fruit as well as a hint of sassafras (root beer) and yeasty character. All in all, not too complex or concentrated, but easy drinking. For the price, you can do better.
86 points
Profile: cherry, cranberry, rose, mocha
Palate: Dry, high acid, medium tannin, medium+ body, short finish
A bit sour, lacks texture and concentration of flavor and is a pretty simple wine. Given that you can grab their Barbera del Monferrato bottling for cheaper at Total Wine, and we strongly preferred it in this tasting, we suggest you spring for that instead.
NOTE: The vintages for the Abbona wines we reviewed differ, so please be mindful of this when considering our reviews comparatively.
85 points
Profile: Cherry, cranberry, wet leaves, hint of mint, chocolate, yeast
Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium tannin, medium+ body, medium finish
Really nice profile, but the concentration falls just a little short on the finish. The flavors linger, but it doesn’t have that delectable “I just took a sip” feel that hangs on your tongue for a long time in some better examples. Nevertheless, this has some really interesting layers to it, and was delicious from start to finish.
91 points
Profile: Blackberry, blueberry, dried cranberry, earth, barnyard, violets, almonds, chocolate, tar, cinnamon, mint
Palate: Dry, medium+ tannins, medium+ acid, full body, long finish
Complex and earthy with good structure and concentration. Already showing some “nice” tertiary aromas from 5 years of bottle age (if you’re into that sort of thing).
91+ points.
So in short, Barbera is a grape. It’s also almost a name. In fact, it’s definitely a name. The name of a grape. Wow.
We’ve covered a lot today, let’s take a moment to appreciate great wine.
Deep breaths all around.
Deep sips to follow.
Until next time,
HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers!
Isaac & Zach
The name of a grape. Wow....
WONDERFUL!