#newwinethisweek Week 33 – Barbaresco, Italy #NWTW on tour!
I wish I could say it’s nice to back after an amazing couple of weeks on the US West Coast… but I can’t! I miss being on tour, but luckily for you #newwinethisweek is still out and about, with Mike calling the plays from beautiful Piedmont in northern Italy. What a great place to be and what a great wine he’s gone for, the magnificent Barbaresco:
http://pleasebringmemywine.com/2014/08/19/nwtw-week-33-on-tour-barbaresco-from-italy/
Barbaresco is a town in Piedmont, just down the road from its more famous cousin Barolo. Both of these wines are made from the Nebbiolo grape, which produces lightly coloured red wines which can be highly tannic when young and are often said to smell of tar and roses. In order to qualify under the Barbaresco DOCG, the wines must have an alcohol content above 12.5% and be aged for a minimum of 2 years, with at least 1 year in oak.
Most of the best wines of Barbaresco need to be aged for a minimum of 5 years, often a great deal more to show at their best, with harsh tannins making the young wines almost undrinkable. Once the wines have had enough time however they reveal beauty and grace, with aromas of roses and violets, and flavours of cherries, truffles, fennel and leather. These wines also come with hefty price tags, the most famous and expensive of all from the great domain of Gaja.
The good news is that many wines in the region are being made to drink earlier these days and although never cheap, are available at realistic prices to everyday drinkers, so there are options for the #newwinethisweek follower!
Here is a selection of wines readily available in the UK:
Araldica Corsini Barbaresco 2011 (Waitrose £11.99)
M&S Barbaresco 2011 (M&S £11.99)
I also have to include Mike’s choice from Sainsbury’s… Barbaresco at £8?? I’ll be giving it a try for sure!
Taste the Difference Barbaresco 2011 (Sainsbury’s £8.00 was £10.00)
And if it’s your birthday… how about a bottle from Gaja??
Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi 1999 (Roberson £210.00)
Grab a bottle and head over to PleaseBringMeMyWine to cast your vote and leave your comments this week:
http://pleasebringmemywine.com/2014/08/19/nwtw-week-33-on-tour-barbaresco-from-italy/
Ciao for now!!
Posted on August 19, 2014, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Confessions of a Wine Geek
Mamma mia che cazzo con quella Gaja – così costoso! I’m sure it’s fabulous. However, I’ll be drinking the one from Sainsbury’s. Loved the wine knowledge – great post. Cheers!
I wish I could afford a bottle of Gaja… on my wishlist and there’s a tasting coming up in the Autumn where I may get the chance! It’ll be Sainsburys for me too, or maybe M&S… I’m a bit short after the US trip!!
I went for the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, at £8 there was no other choice! I made some arincini and away we went:
Light colouring but with delicious aromas of red cherries, rose petals, leather and dry herb – not rosemary or thyme… Oregano perhaps? Medium-minus body but doesn’t Hal pack a flavour-punch. The palate is slightly underripe cherries and fig, with a lest try edge and a delicious earthiness. The tannins are dry and dusty, acidity is bright and balanced. I am stunned at the layers of flavour for £8 – if you paid £25 for this Barbaresco you would not be disappointed.mive tried and thoroughly enjoyed the Taste The Difference Priorat and this is in the same league… I’m now going to check out more of the higher-end TTD range. One of, if not the best value wines of #NWTW so far. 9/10
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