Barbera d'Asti DOCG
No strip issued. I'm still hunting a bottle.
Barbera's home turf, where the grape gives deeper, rounder wines than in Alba. Bright ruby purple, black cherry and plum, a note of blackberry leaf and, in oaked Superiore versions, vanilla and clove. High acidity and low tannin make it a food wine first: it cuts through fat and handles tomato sauce. From simple stainless steel bottlings at $15 to barrique-aged Superiore at $40 plus, the best keep freshness and avoid tasting like generic oaked red.
Still hunting
I'm still looking for a bottle of this.
If you make Barbera d'Asti, import it, or know who does, the form takes two minutes and I reply to every one.
Can you help me get one?Bottles I'm chasing
Michele Chiarlo
Barbera d'Asti 'Le Orme'
The everyday benchmark (Kobrand imports), juicy cherry and plum with lively acid and a light touch of oak.
$13 to $17Wine-SearcherBraida
Barbera d'Asti 'Bricco dell'Uccellone'
Giacomo Bologna's barrique Barbera that changed the grape's reputation in the 1980s; dense blackberry, cocoa and toast with Barbera's acid keeping it upright.
$60 to $75Wine-SearcherVietti
Barbera d'Asti 'Tre Vigne'
Reliable mid-price bottle (Dalla Terra), black cherry, dried herbs and a mineral edge, mostly large-cask aged.
$18 to $24Wine-Searcher
| Producer | Wine | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michele Chiarlo | Barbera d'Asti 'Le Orme' The everyday benchmark (Kobrand imports), juicy cherry and plum with lively acid and a light touch of oak. | $13 to $17 | Wine-Searcher |
| Braida | Barbera d'Asti 'Bricco dell'Uccellone' Giacomo Bologna's barrique Barbera that changed the grape's reputation in the 1980s; dense blackberry, cocoa and toast with Barbera's acid keeping it upright. | $60 to $75 | Wine-Searcher |
| Vietti | Barbera d'Asti 'Tre Vigne' Reliable mid-price bottle (Dalla Terra), black cherry, dried herbs and a mineral edge, mostly large-cask aged. | $18 to $24 | Wine-Searcher |