Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Sourced from 65-year-old vines on sandy white marl soils, Olim Bauda’s Le Rocchette Barbera sports a lovely black-ruby color followed by opulent aromas of ripe plums, cherries, menthol, loamy earth, and mushroomy underbrush. Bright and vibrant on the palate, the wine presents kirsch and plum fruit alongside complex notes of licorice, button mushrooms, anise, tar, and tobacco. Bracing acidity cuts through the Rocchette’s rich fruit expression and segues it to a long, balanced finish featuring fine tannins, loamy earth, and autumnal suggestions of fallen leaves. Delicious, balanced, and complex beyond its modest tariff, this grand cru old-vine Barbera is ready for your table tonight and over the coming five years with hearty pastas, braises, pizza, marinated flank steak, and eggplant casseroles.
A December 2018 newsletter selection
