Thursday, February 25, 2016

Franco Serra Barbera d'Alba, 2012

This is a $10 Barbera, and I would prefer it any day over just about any $30 California or Australian wine you could put on my table. It's rich, bold, satisfying and a good match for almost any dish--from grilled steak to mushroom risotto.

Deep, dark, bluish. The aromas are immediately captivating--dark cherry, black licorice, rose petals. Piedmont bargain: I can sniff it and pretend there is a Barolo or Barbaresco on the table to follow. No worry; this Barbera will do for tonight. The flavors are there, too. Not a whole lot of tannin, and the alcohol is only 13%. Yet the wine has a "big" feel. Spicy acidity and lots of fruit on the finish.

I keep thinking that I should put some bottles of this Barbera away to see how it develops. But it's so hard to keep my hands (and palate) off of it.

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