Not April Fool: Wine Focus, the rest of Piemonte

[David M. Bueker]

Had a 2011 Cappellano Barbera tonight. It’s always such a gem of a wine. Richness but not over the top. There’s a bit of VA (does Barbera always have VA), but it just creates brightness. Perfect for sipping or with food.

[Jenise]

The other night with homemade pizza, I opened a 2012 Pelissero Barbera. My inventory suggests I paid in the high teens for it, which is a screaming deal for the wine we had. It was bigger than expected for a barbera and almost plush in texture--another surprise. Opaque purple-black color, resolved tannins, good acidity, some secondary nuances on the way. Great showing for a humble wine.

2016 Bricco dell'Uccellone "Braida" Barbera d'Asti Rocchetta Tanoro, Italy.. 16% abv. The cork was about 1/3" to 1/2" longer than normal and it was hard to extract with my lever-style corkscrew. This was impressive from the first sip. It was very rich in what I presume is a modern style. I have very little experience with Barbera so I don't have a basis for comparison as to traditional or modern style of the wine. Perhaps the closest grape for me to compare it to would be a Syrah. The wine is marked by raspberry and spice flavors with some tartness on the finish. I did notice some heat from the alcohol. It was best on the first evening open when I had it with a cheeseburger with sharp cheddar cheese. It was a rather expensive wine and I'm not sure I would purchase it again even though I enjoyed it.