wine: Barbera
When I first heard the theme for this month’s Wine Blog Wednesday, I got very excited to push myself to investigate some unique varietals that I’ve been meaning to try. My first choice was Aglianico (pronounced “ah-LYAH-nee-koe”), but that is apparently hard to come by in SE Michigan. Oh well, I’ll save that one for another day. Once I’m willing to make the trek out to Ann Arbor for a wine run, I know Bello Vino has some Ars Poetica Vulcano, which is supposedly a steal for under $10.
Instead, I chose to sample a variety of Barbera wines:
This was my first time having Barbera and I thought it would be interesting to get a since for the similarities and differences between the different price points. After comparing my notes with some research on the grape, I think that my experience is pretty typical of the varietal, and it is certainly a wine I’d consider purchasing again.
I sampled all three wines over the course of two events with some dishes I thought would be appropriate. I served the wine with a smoky Porcini-Pecorino Steak Stroganoff one night and good ol’ Hungry Howie’s pizza with mushrooms, pepperoni, and onion the second.
COSTA DI BUSSIA Arcapla Langhe
Aroma of chemicals (rubber cement and crazy glue) with a faint whiff of buried fruit. First sip is tangy, strong acidity, and oh so dark fruits, blackberry. The aftertaste is quite dry with subtle fruit flavors. The flavor is inky, as it is hard to pick up any distinct flavors underneath the acidity. Great with the pizza, which mellows out the acid and gives a nice smoky finish.
VIETTI Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne
Same aroma of chemicals only with a hint of raisins and vanilla. This was definitely oak aged as the first flavors to peak out are sweet vanilla and smoke that combine into an almost coconut flavor after a while. This wine is dark, rich, and smooth, and was our favorite of the evening. It went fantastic with the mushroom dish with a highly complex finish that brought out the sweet strawberry flavors. Not so much acid which makes it easier (as easy as a typical Italian wine, particularly Barbera, can be I suppose) to drink without food.
CASTELVERO Piedmont Barbera
Same chemicals on the nose, must be a Barbera signature, but mingled with overripe cherries and I’m almost smelling a bit of the Shaw in here. Not a good sign. This wine lacks definition. It is brighter and lighter than the other Barberas, which makes it go down smooth with the food, but it is disappointingly simple. Drinking it on its own is out of the question, too much acid, which tends to make it taste even cheaper.
technorati tags: wine blog wednesdays, barbera, piedmont
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RECENT WINES
September 16th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
[...] Marta dove into barbera for the first time, tackling the Costa di Bussia Arcapla Langhe, Vietti Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne, and the Castelvero Piedmont Barbera, all under $20. [Marta Strickland] [...]