Azienda Agricola Marziano Abbona, Barbera d’Asti "Rinaldi", Piemonte, Italy 2022
100% Barbera
BLACKBERRY & MULLBERRY, WILD & WOODSY, INTEGRATED TOAST & SILKY TANNIN
Barbera, among the most widely recognized and popular denizens of Italy’s northwestern vineyards (and, currently, the most quantitatively important), is both a bit of an enigma and a bit of a chameleon. Uncertainty surrounds the grape’s origins, and throughout its Piemontese range, we find a broad spectrum of styles which it can assume. This example from Abbona sets our Barbara scale’s needle dancing erratically. It’s dense, dark, and brooding with black fruit and foresty, rustic charm.
Serving Suggestion: Roast duck legs w/ caraway seeds & red cabbage. Hearty Russian crepes w/ sour cream & sautéed, coarsely-chopped chanterelles w/ garlic.
