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I just wrote some tasting notes for two fantastic wines I bought at the wine store about a week ago, to do a little comparison. You can view those here. Much like my article Barolo v. Barbaresco, which you can also find here, this grape also hails from the region of Piedmont. Barbara is the third most grown grape in all of Italy, which was surprising to me considering the propensity the complex grape blends that dominate the peninsula. This is, however, the exact reason it is so planted. It tends to be a great blending grape especially in Tuscany. But in this article we will be looking at its dominance in the Piedmont region specifically.
Barbera has been in Piedmont since the thirteenth century. Historical record, and DNA genealogy traces it back to the Lombardy in Oltrepó Pavese, a couple hundred miles away from Piedmont. It is likely most closely related to Mataro, from Spain. It shares its close clusters and small, dark berries with the grape, as well as the leaf shape, and ribbing.
The grape is grown throughout Piedmont, but there are two major communes that were awarded DOC, and DOCG status, and these areas are thus commonly associated with Barbera. They are Alba, and Asti. Alba you may remember as the dividing town in Langhe between Barolo and Babaresco, Nebbiolo growing communes. Asti you may recognize for Asti Spumante, a sweet fizzy wine also made there locally.
Barbera is understood to be a low-yielding delicacy, but tough and nagging, and surprisingly not finicky like Nebbiolo. It’s a pretty relaxed grape to grow. On the pedestal of grapes, it is placed second to that of Nebbiolo, but above the likes of Dolcetto. The flavor is stunning, if executed by a skilled vintner, and that’s often a big, “if” in the case of Barbera. The end product often sadly receives mixed reviews. Barbara can be light, with fresh raspberry, and blackberry jam flavors, undertones of dark plumbs, hinds of forest floor, leather, cherry wood, allspice, and oak. It tends to be more fruit forward than Nebbiolo, less complicated, and easier to pair with food.
Barbera itself yields harvests two weeks earlier than Nebbiolo. It is known regionally as somewhat of a lesser grape, and receives plots that are not quite premier locations, especially in Alba. That being said, there is renewed interest in the grape in recent years, and it’s beginning to gain a little more respect thanks to some fantastic blends from producer Gaja. Alba especially is known as more of a local’s table wine, despite its DOC. Asti on the other hand, was awarded a DOCG in 2008, after having held onto their DOC since 1970.
DOCG requirements for Barbera d’Asti are obviously a little stricter so I will highlight these first. Barbara d’Asti must be composed of at least ninety percent Barbera grape. Other varieties are only allowed to occupy up to ten percent of the blend, and they must be Dolcetto, Freisa, or Grignolino; other locally grown varieties. Notice Nebbiolo is not allowed in the Asti blend. The alcohol by volume must also be eleven and a half percent, or higher.
One commune in Asti was recently (2014) given its own DOCG, with more stringent requirements, and that is Nizza. These wines are harder to come by at stores, but are fabulous if you can get ahold of them. In Nizza, there is no blending allowed, grapes must be one hundred percent Barbera to be labeled as such. Minimum strength must be thirteen percent alcohol by volume. The yield must be seven tonnes per hectare, which is fairly low for a very low yielding grape, and aging must take place for eighteen months, with six of those months in barrel. Like Nebbiolo, barber is sometimes aged in Botti, traditional large barrels used for storage, or New French Oak Barriques, modern smaller vessels.
The flavor when done in Botti is typically darker, richer, with more tannin, complexity, and even some driving undertone spice notes - these can use a decant often as reduction is common, and these wines pick up some chewiness. Wines done in Botti are often not racked and may even have a bit of sediment. Barriques are more modern, they keep the fruit fresh but can dull the taste, marring the complexity in sickly coconut, and vanilla when used in excess.
Soils in Asti are loam and clay, with silt marl throughout. This creates wines with distinction and complexity. The best plots in Asti are reserved for this grape. There is little cooling affect from the water and harvest times are roughly a week prior to those in Alba. Wines here are celebrated for their aromas of allspice, and cherry. One can make out cinnamon, cherry pie, blackberry bramble, bread, nutmeg, and in newer wines, vanilla.
One of the finest wines with a very reasonable price tag located in Asti, is Bresano Generala Barbera D’Asti Nizza 2015. These bottles are extremely rare, as are all wines from Nizza. But if you can get ahold of one, they generally run around thirty dollars per bottle. The flavor profile is very impressive, this wine is excellent value. These wines are done in Botti, hence, the dark fruit flavors. Raspberry jam, raisin, and plumbs are all common descriptors. There are some light flavors of pistachio, and vanilla, and a lovely blackberry acidity. It’s chewy and a primo candidate for aging.
Moving on to Barbera d’Alba DOC, this region produces far less Barbera than Asti, though the region is much better value. The Barbera grapes here are generally located on the lower slopes, below coveted Nebbiolo. This means harvest times are slightly later, the cooling effect of the Tanaro, and the wine’s lower planting sites in the hills account for this. Cooler grapes means higher acidity, and often more complexity and less fruit-forwardness.
Soil here is calcareous loam, sand and some scattered limestone plots, this is of course the same soil as Barbaresco. The growing areas generally have higher water tables, also leading to higher acidity and later ripening season. The berries do, however, get slightly more sun, leading to better coloration, and richer colored wines.
Another major factor that plays into the flavor, is the DOC regulations require that Barbera d’Alba have twelve percent alcohol by volume, and consist of fifteen percent Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo in the blend also adds astringent rich flavors of cedar, red-fruit, tar and cherry, as well as serving to deepen the color of the blend, and enhancing ABV. The resulting wine has a fuller body, with more intense red fruit, and pronounced nuance.
A Wine with incredible structure and elegance from the region is Bruno Giacosa’s Barbera D’Alba 2016. This wine is a fifteen percent Nebbiolo, Barbera blend with incredible character. There are intense cherry, and strawberry flavors, hints of tar, clove and ink. The wine has great balance with in acidity. It is aged in old French Barriques, these a slight flavor of cedar and tobacco. This bottle is more readily available and is also the same price at thirty dollars. It would make a great pairing wine for pasta, or cured meat, due to its light fruit.
That’s all,
~K
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