Tag: Barbera d’Alba
Ascheri Barbera d’Alba Fontanelle 2007
Barbera is one of the three grapes making up the triumvirate of Piedmontese red wine grapes, along with dolcetto and nebbiolo. Each of these grapes brings entirely unique qualities to the table: nebbiolo with its fierce tannins, and earthy fruits; dolcetto, light, wonderfully fruity, and ready to drink young, and barbera, described by Edward Behr as producing a wine that is “medium-quality dark, acidic, but not tannic”. Add to this the bright fruits that barbera provides, and you have a good description of why each of these three grapes play such wonderfully complementary roles in Piedmont wine culture.
Barbera is the most widely planted grape in Piedmont, followed by dolcetto and then nebbiolo.
Ascheri is one of the traditional-style winemakers in Piedmont today. Their Barolos are highly respected, and they are one of the winemakers where this level of quality trickles down to their lower-level bottlings, including this excellently priced Barbera d’Alba. This wine is produced from grapes grown in the Fontanelle vineyard in La Morra, one of five communes in Barolo and known for producing wines that are lighter and more elegant than those from elsewhere. The wine is 100% barbera, and spend its first 9 months in Slavonian oak, 75% of which are used barrels and 25% new. The result is a wine that has great color, and an excellent balance between acidity and fruit.
The color of the wine is deep purple, lightening only slightly at the edges. The nose is very interesting, earthy, with hints of tobacco and dark fruits. The palate opens up with a burst of dark acidity that gives way to mint, cherries, and a hint of strawberries. Throughout the palate is laced with a fine acidity. It’s not biting, but instead serves to liven up the flavors which give the impression of potentially being somewhat heavy without the acidity. The finish is very nice, as a blend of acidity and cherry skins trails off into a medium-length finish. The tannins are barely perceptible in this wine, making it very easy to drink.
On the whole, this is nice, highly drinkable wine. The balance of fruit and acidity makes it very enjoyable to drink. Not so much a wine to linger over, but an excellent companion to dinner, conversation, and some scrabble or a book afterwards.
Cantina Ascheri Giacomo is a winery that I’ve been looking forward to trying recently, and finding this bottle at a great price (only $14) was very good timing. This wine was absolutely good enough to wet my palate for trying some of their other wines. They make a Nebbiolo d’Alba and a couple of Dolcetto d’Albas, along with three separate Barolos. With all of their wines they note the vineyard that the grapes came from in the name of the wine, which I think is a great touch. It gives the impression that that much more thought and care went into not only the making of the wines, but their very conception.
Related Posts: