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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$170.77
Earth tones mingle with dark blackberry and plum fruit in this beefy Barbera. Still tough on the finish, with an...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$88.95
A dense, powerful version, exhibiting plum, blackberry, cola and baking spice flavors. Heady, with appreciable...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$66.78
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia marries elegance, power and energy. Inky blue/purplish fruit, menthol, licorice...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$67.95
Dark and brooding, this red delivers blackberry, plum, tamarind and light earth flavors allied with a rich texture....
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La Spinetta Barbera D'alba Gallina 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$60.45
The 2017 Barbera d'Alba Gallina (with 7,000 bottles made) is darkly saturated and rich with an abundant display of...
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Luciano Sandrone Barbera D'alba 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$40.78
The Sandrone Barbera d'Alba comes from three vineyards: Merli and Rocche di San Nicola in Novello, and Cascina Pe Mol...
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Luciano Sandrone Barbera D'alba 2019
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$44.31
A bright style, this red is laced with cherry, bitter almond and iron flavors. It boasts a spine of brisk acidity and...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$92.94
Smoke, black cherries, tar, French oak and dark spices wrap around the palate as the 2011 Barbera d'Asti Superiore...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$37.66
Barbera Calvados Lambrusco Savagnin
For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.