I had an opportunity late last year to explore a vertical of Lino Maga’s flagship “Barbacarlo” wines at a local wine shop, which presented the 2000, 2005, and 2015-2019 vintages.
“Barbacarlo” is a monopole cru, owned by the Maga family, located in Oltrepo Pavese, where Croatina, Uva Rara, and Ughetta (i.e., Vespolina) are grown (and perhaps some Barbera as well). Previously, I had only had Lino Maga’s other cru wine, Montebuono, which I had never heard of before trying it for the first time. But, I was intrigued by its complex, if rustic, blend of sweet fruit, crunchy acidity, ferrous minerality, savory meatiness, herbal aromas, and salinity, which are also hallmarks of Barbacarlo.
Curious to learn more, I did some research on Maga’s winemaking process: zero pesticides in the vineyard, elevage in (very) old and large oak botte without temperature control, and oftentimes finishing fermentation in bottle. Needless to say, one could tell that this hands-off approach led to rather wild variation between vintages.
I was quite sad to hear that Lino passed away in 2022, but it was a great opportunity to be able to do a deep dive into his unique, soulful, albeit slightly imperfect, wines.
2019 Barbacarlo: An expressive nose that is quite ripe and plummy, though there is a slightly herbal character to it as well. Unsurprisingly, the palate is very primary, dominated by an intense and sweet dark fruit. But, there is also black pepper and a ferrous bloodiness as well. The tannins are ashy, but not too astringent, while the mouthfeel more generally is rather silky.
2018 Barbacarlo: The nose is more muted, with less fruit and more savory and herbal aromas. The palate has a sweetness to its dark cherry fruit and is also rather silky texturally. This is despite the tannins being slightly assertive and ashy, though still approachable at this point.
2017 Barbacarlo: This is bottled under screwcap. There is much more funk on the nose and there's a bit of effervescence as well. Noticeably more tannic than the '18 and '19, with a flavor profile that is less complex -- primarily ripe dark fruit that lacks the herbal characteristics of the younger wines. However, it still has that Barbacarlo silkiness (despite the bubbles).
2016 Barbacarlo: This is a touch volatile on the nose, but the palate is subtle, dark-fruited, with an interesting herbal component that provides complexity. The tangy and tart acidic spine provides tension that runs from the initial attack to the finish. Texturally, there's that lovely silkiness that's complemented by slightly drying tannins to provide some grip. Definitely a bit edgy, though not nearly as natty as the '17. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
2015 Barbacarlo: The nose is a bit ripe and quite fruit driven. The palate seems less herbal, and there's pronounced sweetness to the fruit that comes across as borderline jammy. But, the wine finds a balance between the juicy (slightly volatile) acidity, the rich fruit, and the subtly tannic bite on the finish.
2005 Barbacarlo: There's quite a bit of forest floor and funk on the nose and the fruit is not as pronounced. The palate is quite savory and wild, with a touch of smoke and a nice undertone of fruit. The acidity is definitely lifted, but not excessively volatile; it adds quite a bit of interest to the palate. Tannins are still a touch firm, but they do not detract. Noticeably more savory and complex than the younger wines, this was in a nice place.
2000 Barbacarlo: Very balsamic, and I believe, slightly maderized on both the nose and the palate. I don't think this was "flawed," but maybe just a not so great bottle. A little soft. Oh well.
“Barbacarlo” is a monopole cru, owned by the Maga family, located in Oltrepo Pavese, where Croatina, Uva Rara, and Ughetta (i.e., Vespolina) are grown (and perhaps some Barbera as well). Previously, I had only had Lino Maga’s other cru wine, Montebuono, which I had never heard of before trying it for the first time. But, I was intrigued by its complex, if rustic, blend of sweet fruit, crunchy acidity, ferrous minerality, savory meatiness, herbal aromas, and salinity, which are also hallmarks of Barbacarlo.
Curious to learn more, I did some research on Maga’s winemaking process: zero pesticides in the vineyard, elevage in (very) old and large oak botte without temperature control, and oftentimes finishing fermentation in bottle. Needless to say, one could tell that this hands-off approach led to rather wild variation between vintages.
I was quite sad to hear that Lino passed away in 2022, but it was a great opportunity to be able to do a deep dive into his unique, soulful, albeit slightly imperfect, wines.
2019 Barbacarlo: An expressive nose that is quite ripe and plummy, though there is a slightly herbal character to it as well. Unsurprisingly, the palate is very primary, dominated by an intense and sweet dark fruit. But, there is also black pepper and a ferrous bloodiness as well. The tannins are ashy, but not too astringent, while the mouthfeel more generally is rather silky.
2018 Barbacarlo: The nose is more muted, with less fruit and more savory and herbal aromas. The palate has a sweetness to its dark cherry fruit and is also rather silky texturally. This is despite the tannins being slightly assertive and ashy, though still approachable at this point.
2017 Barbacarlo: This is bottled under screwcap. There is much more funk on the nose and there's a bit of effervescence as well. Noticeably more tannic than the '18 and '19, with a flavor profile that is less complex -- primarily ripe dark fruit that lacks the herbal characteristics of the younger wines. However, it still has that Barbacarlo silkiness (despite the bubbles).
2016 Barbacarlo: This is a touch volatile on the nose, but the palate is subtle, dark-fruited, with an interesting herbal component that provides complexity. The tangy and tart acidic spine provides tension that runs from the initial attack to the finish. Texturally, there's that lovely silkiness that's complemented by slightly drying tannins to provide some grip. Definitely a bit edgy, though not nearly as natty as the '17. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
2015 Barbacarlo: The nose is a bit ripe and quite fruit driven. The palate seems less herbal, and there's pronounced sweetness to the fruit that comes across as borderline jammy. But, the wine finds a balance between the juicy (slightly volatile) acidity, the rich fruit, and the subtly tannic bite on the finish.
2005 Barbacarlo: There's quite a bit of forest floor and funk on the nose and the fruit is not as pronounced. The palate is quite savory and wild, with a touch of smoke and a nice undertone of fruit. The acidity is definitely lifted, but not excessively volatile; it adds quite a bit of interest to the palate. Tannins are still a touch firm, but they do not detract. Noticeably more savory and complex than the younger wines, this was in a nice place.
2000 Barbacarlo: Very balsamic, and I believe, slightly maderized on both the nose and the palate. I don't think this was "flawed," but maybe just a not so great bottle. A little soft. Oh well.