by TomHill » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:18 pm
I have, of course, followed Amador Barbera from the very start. I'll share some history.
Cary Gott started making Barbera around 1974 or '75. Like all the wines he was making then, it was damned deliscious stuff at a great price. He was even putting some up in hlf gals (these were the good ol' days..pre-metric). DarrelCorti (he was, of course, the impetus for Cary to plant Barbera) served one of these first ones to a visiting Italian winemaker from the Piedmonte; who pronounced it the finest Barbera he'd ever tasted. He also made some Special Selection Barberas in the '76-'80 time frame afore he left Montevina. Only one Barbera in all Calif has achieved the stature of those SS Barberas.
When ScottHarvey started the Renwood label, he also made some pretty exceptional Barberas as well. Though, to tell the truth, they had a fair % of Zin therein. He even made one yr a GrandPere Barbera w/ selection of Barbera from the vines in that vnyd. Again, its authenticity may be a bit suspect. But it was mighty fine wine, whatever it was. Alas, I've not yet tried his Barberas under his own label.
I don't think the world has seen Barberas as great as those since then, Italy or Calif. Just my opinion.
The assertion that Barbera is the great/ideal grape for Amador/Shenandoah?? Better than Syrah or Zin?? I wouldn't crawl out on that limb myself...especially w/ all the people out there wielding chainsaws!!
Probably the greatest red wines I've had, in terms of world-class wines, have been Syrahs from Scott and Bill Easton. The ShenandoahVlly terroir seems (like in Lodi and SantaLuciaHighlands) to trump varietal character. I find a great deal of similarity in the flavors of Zin, Syrah, Barbera from Amador, the varietal character adding only subtle nuances. If anything, the natural acidity of Barbera gives it a small leg-up on the other varieties in the area. I expect it will continue to just be a niche wine up in Amador....a very good one in the right hands...but still the marketplace will keep it a niche wine.
Tom
