Unnumbered review: some Barbera

not from the wine lake

Here's some Barbera. It's hard not to think of Barbera as supermarket wine at best, when it's grown in somebody's uncle's vineyard in Piemonte that can't ripen nebbiolo, and wine-lake-wine at worst, when the grape is grown for high yields and no particular reason somewhere else. But then someone thought that it was possible to make excellent wine from barbera, and they were right.

These are all Barbera DOC (but not DOCG) from Piemonte. They're all good -- call them B/B+ -- and they go well with food.

Querciola Barbera D’Alba 2005, 14% abv

intense black cherry and berry nose, with some interesting pitchy/woody and acetic notes.

deeply flavored palate with smooth tannins and a little acidity, but finishes a little thin.

Giulin Barbera del Monferrato 2008, 14.5%

densely colored. smells like the inside of an old barrel, in a nice way, and then some very dark and dry fruits open up. chewy and slightly sour entry, but then it becomes light and fruity. it feels very old-fashioned – like it was vinified (although I have no idea) in a big wooden vat with lots of stems and wild yeast – which I like. But nothing about it really stands out otherwise.

Boroli Quattro Fratelli Barbera D’Alba 2007, 14% abv

softer and more brightly acidic than the others, with some simple red fruit and minerals coming out on the palate. wood spices and minty herbs come out next, and the finish is the best part: the fruit becomes deeper and more tarry.

The Boroli is probably a little too simple and thinly-flavored to stand up on its own, but holds up well with food. The Querciola is the most concentrated of the bunch, but the Guilin is definitely worth trying, especially if you prefer a woodier, less fruit-forward style.