Surviving 136 barberas

V

VS

Victor de la Serna
The Grand Jury Europen, a tasting group, just had four interesting but not easy sessions on 2005, 2006 and 2007 barbera (d'Alba, d'Asti, del Monferrato, Colline Tortonesi...) at Acqui Terme in Monferrato. Many wines, as so often happens with the grape, were excessively rustic and acidic. Some were overtly and boringly 'modern' with loads of waxy (but not necessarily top-notch) new oak. Some were good examples of the freshness and drinkability the variety can reach. The overall results of the Grand Jury panel aren't available yet, but these were my personal favorites among the 136 tasted:

In 2007, Giulin by Accornero (superbly refined Monferrato wine), La Quercia by Cascina Gallarin, No Wood by Scrimaglio, I Quaranta, Castl by Marco Rabino, Bricco Crea by Tenuta La Tenaglia, Conterno Fantino, Trincherina by Fratelli Trinchero, L'Avvocata by Luigi Coppo.

In 2006, Luciano Sandrone (my favorite in this vintage), Bricco Dani by Villa Giada, Naunda by Bric Cenciurio, Cascina Valeggia, Banin by Regali, Crutin Riserva Personale by Mario Crimaglio, Mauro Veglio, Bricco Sereno by La Meridiana.

In 2005, Mora di Sassi by Malgr, Luciano Sandrone, Le Nicchie by La Gironda, Rodeo by Cascina Montagnola.
 
Barbera is extremely frustrating because there is such a great diversity of styles. When they are good, they are surprisingly good; and when they are bad, they are disgustingly bad. As a result, I avoid them unless I know the producer.

Most of the wines listed by you above, VS, are unknown to me, and based on past postings, there is a good chance that our tastes diverge. Any info on how they have been treated (new oak, etc.)?
 
My tastes are probably more varied (and less focused, no doubt) than yours, but one thing I can tell you is that there was virtually no new oak in the top-rated wines I've listed, and that most of them are aged in large used 'botti'. As I mention above, of the 136 tasted, "some were overtly and boringly 'modern' with loads of waxy (but not necessarily top-notch) new oak". Naturally I didn't pick any of them - in GJE tastings (in which we must use those dastardly number scores), be it in Bordeaux, the Douro or Monferrato, I automatically cut a couple of points from the score of overoaked wines, which is probably unfair in the case of young classed growth Bordeaux (I still do it gladly), but not in the case of young barberas. At any rate, it's very difficult to improve on the typicity and purity of a 2007 Accornero or a 2006 Sandrone...
 
Interesting, Victor, thanks.

I, too, am ignorant of most of your favorites. I've much enjoyed older wines from Trinchero.

Barbera is a wine I much regret. I love good examples, the wine is utterly useful for dinner, but so many of them are so awful that I fear anything unknown.

I envy my brethren on the GJE who have the opportunity to screen so broadly.
 
originally posted by VS:
My tastes are probably more varied (and less focused, no doubt) than yours, but one thing I can tell you is that there was virtually no new oak in of the top-rated wines I've listed
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Victor-

I believe your favorite Barbera from '06 goes through malo in 500 liter French oak barrels. I've always found the oak noticeable, but, ymmv.
 
The Sandrones were very good both in their 2006 and 2005 versions. They do undergo malo in those large French 'demi-muids', of which only one out of every five is new. I'm certainly not bothered by that, since it just adds a touch to the aromatic complexity without any of the usual 'oak soup' connotations. Are you bothered by it? I never figured you to be in the radical camp which would demand 100% 60 year-old Slavonian oak 'botti' to be used exclusively... ;-)
 
originally posted by VS:
Are you bothered by it? I never figured you to be in the radical camp which would demand 100% 60 year-old Slavonian oak 'botti' to be used exclusively... ;-)
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No radical I. You know I just prefer less oak to more oak and I'm not one that thinks Barbera holds oak particularly well, to my tastes.
 
Well, have no fear. The oak is just a wink in these wines. The balance, the terroir and the fine but not overwhelming acidity are what count in them. I-ve actually found these recent barberas from Sandrone more convincing than a couple of his recent barolos.
 
No, just Aldo Conterno and Conterno Fantino. We had many producers, like the outstanding Accornero, who don't make any nebbiolo wines and therefore are not that well known internationally (well, they weren't to me, which of course ain't saying much.)
 
originally posted by VS:
No, just Aldo Conterno and Conterno Fantino. We had many producers, like the outstanding Accornero, who don't make any nebbiolo wines and therefore are not that well known internationally (well, they weren't to me, which of course ain't saying much.)
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About half the Barbera producers you listed are unfamiliar to me, Accornero included.
 
The better known names, outside Italy, besides those I already mentioned, were those of producers that also make Barolo or Barbaresco: Cordero di Montezemolo, Braida, Oddero, Parusso, Fontanafredda, Boroli, Rivetto, Bosio, Marchesi di Barolo, Voghera, Ivaldi, Michelotti, Chiarlo, Cogno, Germano...
 
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