Barbera WIne Tasting Notes

2004 Coppo
Pomorosso Vineyard Barbera D'Asti
Score: 90.0
A seamless blend of plum, mocha, toast, vanilla and earth. Vibrant and harmonious from nose to finish. One taster suggested it was Californian in style, but I beg to differ; it's a ripe, international style of wine, but it remains Piemontese at heart. Coppo is one of Piedmont's most consistent producers.

2004 Dario Ivaldi
Piccona Vineyard Barbera D'Asti
Score: 90.0
Well balanced, concentrated wine with plummy fruit, spicy overtones and a hint of forest floor complexity. It's medium-bodied, with soft tannins. The finish is extraordinarily long.

2003 Tenute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi di Gresy
Monte Colombo vineyard Barbera D'Asti
Score: 90.0
Supple and oaky, but plenty of sweet strawberry-plum fruit to match. The oak adds nutmeg and cinnamon notes, and the bright acidity carries the finish for minutes. Excellent ageing potential.

2004 Villa Giada
Bricco Dani Barbera D'Asti Superiore Nizza
Score: 90.0
The Villa Giada has lots of oak, but it's balanced by a like amount of deep blueberry and plum fruit. Full-bodied, with soft tannins, the oak adds sweet spices on the palate (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla), as well as licorice. This a complex and powerful wine with plenty of potential.

2004 La Ghersa
Camparo Barbera D'Asti Superiore
Score: 90.0
Dark ruby color, high sweet floral aroma (camilias-violets), very elegant on the palate, with dark cherry-blueberry fruit and a hint of forest floor complexity that reminds me of Pinot Noir. The silky smooth texture and medium-light body are also reminiscent of Pinot. The floral note leads me to believe Nebbiolo is in the blend, which works wonders here.

2001 Bricco Mondalino
Gaudium Barbera del Monferrato
Score: 91.0
Tasted from a magnum, this wine tastes 10 years older than it is. It offers up a simple berry fruit core, surrounded by fennel, dried herbs and dead leaf overtones that give it complexity.

Villa Giada
Vigneto La Quercia Barbera D'Asti Superiore
Score: 91.0
Round and supple, showing perfectly integrated oak and a depth of blueberry-plum fruit with a hint of licorice and vanilla. Very elegant in its youth, with the structure to age a few years. Villa Giada also showed well two years ago when we tasted the newly released 2001 vintage.

2005 Tenuta Garetto
Tra Neuit e Di Barbera D'Asti
Score: 92.0
Uncommonly well balanced. Red Bell pepper and gunpowder nuances over mouth coating blackberry fruit with some spicy complexity, velvety texture and good length. Despite its ripeness, it retains firm acidity.

2005 Vignetti Massa
Sentieri Barbera Colli Tortonesi
Score: 92.0
Sweet plummy fruit with layers of dark chocolate, nutmeg and pepper, fine structure, velvety texture and long finish. Good ageing potential.

1998 La Famiglia de Robert Mondavi
California Barbera
Score: 89.0
"This is a good example of why Barbera is one of my favorite grapes-it has a depth of plummy fruit, some spice, a light chocolatey layer, and higher acidity to buoy the fruit. Moderate tannin and supple, ripe fruit makes this an easy wine to drink now. Pair with beef, lamb, ostrich, and pasta in tomato sauce. Great stuff."

1998 Preston Vineyards
Dry Creek Valley Barbera
Score: 84.0
"Leaner that most of the California contingent, the Preston Barbara is more along the lines of Barberas from Italys Piedmont region. Plum-like fruit in the nose, on the palate theres a higher note of cherries with a tart acid edge and moderate tannin. It actually has the structure to pair well with fish. "

1997 Boeger
El Dorado Barbera
Score: 90.0
"Amazing concentration of flavor. Wonderfully aromatic, rich and full-flavored, well balanced, with deep blackberry, milk chocolate and roasted meat flavors and a warm finish. Dry, but so much fruit and chocolate that its almost like dessert. Great foil for beef, game or sausage. "

1997 Boeger Vineyard Select
Barbera
Score: 88.0
"These grapes were left longer to ripen on the vine. As a result the wine displays powerful framboise-like fruit and milk chocolate character. With smooth tannins, good balance and a warm finish, its only fault is excessive alcohol (15.4%), which makes it hard to enjoy more than one or two glasses."

1998 Cameleon Cellars
Amador County Barbera
Score: 86.0
"Plum and cranberry fruit with crisp acidity, light tannin and a spicy finish."

Barbera Wine Tasting Notes