Origin: Piemonte, Italy
Grape: Barbera
Year: 2016
Alcohol: 13%
Price point: $10
Year Reviewed: 2018
Barbera is a dark-skinned wine grape variety found in several Italian wine regions, including its native Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Campania and even the island regions, Sicily and Sardinia. At the turn of the 21st Century, it was Italy’s third most-commonly planted red wine grape, after Sangiovese.
The Piedmont (Piemonte) regions sits in northwest Italy and is home of the most DOCG wines out of any other Italian wine regions. This particular wine has been increasing in popularly and look at the price point. Ratings on this wine have been around 87-89 points by various critics. I found this wine indicative of a Barbera.
On the eyes, there is a clear (with just a bit of blur) medium Ruby color. The aromas, upon opening are truly of those red fruits snacks you packed in your children’s lunch boxes, blending with black cherry, spice and a minor nutty smell. I also did pick up the earthy and barnyard smells. On the palate, lots of red tart cherry flavors with an off dry sweetness, medium acidity and lower tannins than I anticipated for this region. Flavors of a tart cherry tart are forward, rounding out more upon consumption. The finish leaves you puckering a bit with cherry flavors surrounding your inner cheeks. Quality—good.