Barbaresco Tasting 11/30/07
I was really looking forward to this one. In the last year I have really grown fond of Barbarescos as you can see from recent postings. Mostly I have to thank Nostrana for that. They have a very nice list of Produttori Barbarescos for a very fair price.
Last night’s tasting was certainly interesting. As always, we didn’t give them enough time to breathe. I think for the next one, we need to have them opened earlier in the day. They were all too young; even the 2000 could have used a couple of more years. A number of them showed definite promised and began to really get interesting after an hour or two.
Sydney and I struck out as far as what we brought. I picked up a Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo for the low end, while technically not a Barbareso, I thought it would be interesting. I also had a Produttori single vineyard Ovello from 2001 which I expected would be too young, but really interesting. I figured if it showed promise, I would pick up another one. Well, no luck, it was corked. Badly corked… not that there is any other way to be corked. So I pulled it from the tasting and will return it. Sigh.
2003 Marziano Abbona Barbaresco Vigna Faset ($41)
This was in my top two and ultimately landed at number one. It had a huge nose of graphite and concentrated red fruit. The palate and finish were both red fruited and the wine seemed perfectly balanced, unlike many of the others which were highly tannic or a little hot. I think this one is just closer to ready than some of the others. Yum. Rating: ****
2000 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili ($40s)
Started as my favorite and then ultimately bounced to second. Again red fruit and a little funk then reminded me a little of old Pinot Noir. The palate was… well, very nice and tasted like something that begins with ‘D’ but I can’t read it. The finish was very long and spicy. Rating: ***+
2003 Che Storia Barbaresco Che Storia ($15)
Another nice one, although not with the depth of the last two. Red fruited with a little smoke in the nose. I little less fruit on the palate. The finish was very short at first, but grew as the night wore on at which point it became a bit short and medicinal. Good value. Rating: **
2004 Ronchi Barbaresco ($42)
Again, the smell of graphite, but denser than the others. Giant red cherry and huge, huge, huge tannins. I didn’t love this one, but a number of others did. I agree with them that this might be excellent a few years down the road but now it is just astringent almost to the point of being unpleasant. Definitely interesting though. Rating: *
2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo ($15)
We brought this one. I picked it out. I can own up to that. Strawberry jam and cloves on the nose. Light on fruit and tannin and a little hot on the finish. The nose was nice, but the palate wasn’t much to speak of. Not bad for the money, but not great either. Better to get the Che Storia. Rating: meh
2003 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco ($28)
Didn’t love this one either but it did ultimately overtake the Langhe Nebbiolo. It was a little cold to start and it improved while it warmed up. Fresh red fruit on the nose. Tannic with cherry on the nose. A touch of reduced quality in the finish. Rated it a “meh” but did so early, so I think in fairness it should be a “meh+” or a “*-” to a “*”.
A couple of lessons learned: don’t drink the Barbarescos too young or if you must, decant them well ahead of time; sink the extra dough into the single vineyards–it is generallly worth it. Or if you don’t have the dough, buy the 2003 Che Storia: $13-$15 at Trader Joe’s and very respectable. Finally, more a lesson confirmed than learned: I like Barbarescos. Yum.