Barbaresco, Italy
Barbera d'Alba DOC
What a treat this Barbera is! Grapes are sourced from the communes of Barbaresco, Neive and Alba in the Piedmont. A year in "botti" - oak aging vessels anywhere between 1000 to 10000 litres in size - is common here, especially in the production of Barolo, and used to great effect with this delicious interpretation. Full-bodied but with lower tannins and Barbera's trademark high natural acidity, a point that sets it apart from the more traditional red wines of the region. A vibrant and enticing nose of ripe red berries, earth, dark cherry, spice and red plum. Streaks of minerality with a long, concentrated finish.
The weight and balance of the wine lend well to grilled meats and charred veggies, red-wine braised short ribs or a weeknight lasagna. There's lots of great food pairing opportunities here and luckily this is so delicious and easy to come back to for great weeknight indulging.