Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Category Archives: Barbera
Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti 2007
Michele Chiarlo, Barbera d’Asti, Superiore, Le Orme 2007 This vintage features a fair amount of black fruit interspersed with some horse blanket. In the mouth it is mildly oaky and rich, supple and sparked by acidity – nice. 13.5% $12.69 … Continue reading →
Seghesio Barbera 2008
Seghesio, Alexander Valley, Barbera 2008 The nose screams fresh fruit galore. It’s pretty in the way the black fruit melds with floral notes. In the mouth it is supple and rich, with a viscosity not often seen in Barbera. This … Continue reading →
Vietti Barbera 2006
Vietti, Barbera d’Alba, Tre Vigne 2006 This is Barbara with structure, quite formidable and begging for red meat. I swear that there is a compelling sense of black licorice and green herbs in this wine. The flavors carry for a … Continue reading →
Ruquist Barbera 2008
R (Jeff Runquist), Amador County, Cooper Vineyard, Barbera 2008 True to form this wine smells sweetly of vanilla jammy berry fruits. In the mouth the oak comes on with force, adding complexity and richness while Barbera’s acidity is there to … Continue reading →
Posted in Amador County, Barbera, California, Sierra Foothills
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Tagged Jeff Runquist
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Andrea Oberto Barbera d’Alba 2008
Andrea Oberto, Barbera d’Alba DOC 2008 The nose features tar as well as some bound up sulfur. In the mouth it is immensely tart, screaming with acidity and a little leaner than hoped for. This wine doesn’t show nearly as … Continue reading →
Machia Barbera 2006
Macchia, Amador County, Cooper Ranch, Infamous, Barbera 2006 There are aspects to the nose that remind me of berry pie, with ripe berry fruit, sweetness and pastry dough. In the mouth, the acidity is alight, coupled with the richness of … Continue reading →
Coppo Camp du Rouss 2005
Coppo, Barbera d’Asti DOC, Camp du Rouss 2005 Unfortunately this bottle is corked. Camp du Rouss is a name that pays homage to the red headed man who owned the vineyard from where the Barbera for this wine was first … Continue reading →
Montevina Barbera 2006
Montevina, Amador County, Barbera 2006 Light-bodied and fruity with Barbera’s characteristic acidity – very clean and easy drinking. P&B in Plymouth 14.5% $7.79 at Bottle Barn Montevina
Seghesio Barbera 2007
Seghesio Alexander Valley, Barbera 2007 The new vintage of this wine smells as fetching as ever, exploding with a freshness of fruit as if still in the making at the winery. There’s also a sense of the rather immense alcohol … Continue reading →
Runquist Barbera 2007
R (Jeff Runquist), Amador County, Cooper Vineyard, Barbera 2007 There is a sweet, liquer-like sense to the nose, with plenty of vanilla. The fruit drives the flavors in the mouth with a heavy wack of oak for richness and the … Continue reading →
Piemonte lineup
Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Grignolino 2005 Truly one of the ‘lightest of the light’ red wines and an aromatic charmer as well. P&B in St. Helena 12.5% $15.50 at Traverso’s Heitz Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Dolcetto DOC Masante 2006 Quite … Continue reading →
Barbera in the hills
Yorba Amador County Barbera 2005 A touch rustic but the fruit comes out showing nicely after 15 minutes. One of the students suggested stewed rhubarb as a descriptor, which was right on, when you think of the tartness of rhubarb … Continue reading →
Old and new
Traditional appellation wine versus a modern blend from Piemonte. Vietti, Barolo DOCG, Castiglione 2004 In June of ’08 I noted brown spices and licorice on a very tannic frame that is balanced by acidity and extract. In April of ’09, … Continue reading →
Posted in Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italy, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Pinot Noir
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Big Barbera
Seghesio Alexander Valley Barbera 2006 Previous vintages with the broader Sonoma appellation showed the zip of Barbera with a richness to take Barbera beyond it’s workhorse role as a mere foil to fatty food. This latest offering repeats the style. … Continue reading →
3 Red Wines, 3 Different Styles
Montevina Amador County 2005 This has been a consistent good value in California Barbera, showing a light-bodied, fruit forward style. P&B in Plymouth 13.5% $7.49 at Bottle Barn Montevina Michael & David 7 Deadly Zins Old Vine Zin 2006 This … Continue reading →
Sonoma County Harvest Fair Best of Class Italian Varieties and More
D’Argenzio Sonoma Valley D’Alfonso Sangiovese 2005 I had an opportunity to taste this wine twice in the past 2 weeks, once at the sweeps round and again during the D’Arenzio Harvest Party at the winery on Cleveland Avenue. This wine … Continue reading →
Posted in Barbera, California, Rosé, Sangiovese, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley, Zinfandel
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Alba and Asti – Certainly not AA
Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Superiore Le Orme DOC 2005 As we found with the 2003, the wine displays textbook acidity in a very light bodied package with a bit of earthiness and some tannin. This works as a budget Barbera … Continue reading →
Barbera no Hanna
Barbera can deliver berry flavor with the acidity to keep up with acidic dishes. This flight featured two examples from either side of the Atlantic. The first time the California offering was from Seghesio. Tonight we line-up a wine from … Continue reading →
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