a remarkable wine with just one bottle left of a case of twelve drunk and enjoyed over ten years - a gentle and subtle wine on it last legs now and should be drunk soon
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The oldest in a flight of miscellaneous Barberas and showed naturally a bit restraint, almost diluted in comparison but shined with immaculate balance. Very nice.
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Rich and powerful and need decanting, a half hour and off to the races of saddle leather, blackberry, chocolate coffee and spice. Smooth and mouth-filling with rounded tannins and rich concentrated fruit and stone pine and cypress.
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A deep, brooding and powerful wine, which drinks well now. Shows best with food as this takes the edge off the rather high alcohol and pronounced oak. On the other hand, the tannins have softened and don't intrude much beyond providing firm grip. Mushroom and liqueur-filled chocolate complement the fruit and wood and add up to good complexity. Whereas there is nice maturity developing here, there's also still a juicy quality to the wine, which I think is important for the overall balance.
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Really surprised at how well this wine held up. Fruit is rich and dark - much richer than expected for a Barbera. The oak and tannins have integrated nicely with the acid. Want to drink more.
$59.99 OH retail in 2003 www.austinbeeman.com
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Bought 5-6 cases each of the Barbera Gallina 1998 and 1999 upon release. Had no idea, I still had a bottle of the 1999 left. Wine is absolutely superb with few signs of being over the hill. The tannins which softened after about an hour provide a showcase for the still present red fruits, spice and integrated oak. As good as it was, believe the wine drank great upon release and for a few years after when the fruit and level of extract stood up to the tannins a bit more. BTW, these wines have withstood the test of time better than most (not all) barbera's from the late 1990s.
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Is this "classic" Barbera? Does it show terroir? Maybe not. Is it modernist and oaky? Sure. Who cares? This is delicious. Lots of ripe, intense fruit that's showing no signs of slowing down, but it's not raisiny in the least. The oak adds some spice and caramel/vanilla notes but is nicely integrated now, as this is showing none of that grainy, paky oak tannin that I hate. Really nice acid balances the the ripeness so that you don't get tired of drinking this after one glass.
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exceptional ...had no idea barbara's could be this good.Big and bold and very colourful with a long baroloesque finish. This wine will still last a long while.
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Bright ruby with a focused nose of red fruit, earth, truffles, smoke, tar and toast, fresh, rich and lively on the palate, lots of acid but well balanced, tons of complexity, long finish with hints of caramel, mocha and oversized dusty tannins
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My last bottle of 6, sad to see this one go. Still showing very good form with a nose of flowers and leather, a palate of explosive raspberry, chewy, definitely showing a little more wood than I recall from the past, but wow what an expression of fruit!
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Oh my, this was my best bottle of this yet. Out of a 6-pack I am down to one remaining bottle. Popped, poured and wowed. The nose shows explosive aromatics of shoe polish, crushed raspberry, blackberry, and some toast. The palate is both leathery and lush with ample acidity. What blew me away was the 60 second finish that just coated your mouth and left you salivating for another sip. Spectacular!
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Outstandingly good. Full-on fruit with depth. Blackberry and cherry. Very smooth. Complex, slight shortness on the finish. Great, bright acidity made it delicious with food.
Paired: Pizza
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Wow, what gorgeous aromatics of violet and raspberry jam; this stuff simply soars out of the glass! The palate starts very black but opens with time. This boasts explosive fruit with some black, brooding, leathery, shoe-polish notes in the background. I wonder if this is slightly tinged with VA, but even if so it works for this wine. Nice initial acidity keeps the finish perky. This started out a bit dry, but even with just 20 minutes in a decanter it is filling out nicely and gaining more and more weight with time. DAY 3: Wow, this stuff doesn't quit. Another half bottle in the fridge for 3 days has barely budged. Velvety fruit, lush raspberry, this really coats the palate. If anything the fruit has gotten more primary over the last few days. I really love this juice!
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(Cinci off-line) Delicious and an example of how good Barbera can be. Very nice fruit and balanced acidic with good tannins. Spicy elements and earthy undernotes. Well-balanced.
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Really good if bigger than traditional Barberas. Very drinkable and slightly less well-balanced than 1998 or 2000 making it the vintage to enjoy while the others blossom. The Barbera Galina IMO is Rivetti's best red wine. (The Moscato is the definition of what Moscato should be.)
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(Dinner with Christophe & Alex) Had this with pesto lasagne and broccoli di rape. Sweet nose with a candied raspberry/chambord element. On the palate this was fairly grapey at first, although with the food it matched well. An impressive wine, nothing serious, lots of fun, but not the same as the bottle I had last time.
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Holy Toledo, right out of the 55-degree cellar and straight out of the bottle this thing is exploding from the glass and is amazingly concentrated on the palate. I can't wait to watch this unfold over the next few hours. What a nice way to break out of a week dominated by Kosher for Passover wines. An hour later, this has settled down a bit but is still a wine of amazing intensity. A nose with very predominant blackberry, toasty oak, and a high-pitched, almost minty, hint. Luscious. The palate has nice sweetness but also has a dark, brooding element with a lot of structure. An hour later, the dark, brooding nature is still there, but the structure has receded to the background and this is now silky smooth. This wine is highly extracted but not jammy and overbearing. The finish is nearly a minute long, gorgeous. One of the best Italian wines I have ever tasted! (+2 days) Well I had 1/3 of a leftover bottle, so 2 nights later I gave it a shot. It was less delicious than before but still drinking very respectably. Great juice!
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5/22/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
a remarkable wine with just one bottle left of a case of twelve drunk and enjoyed over ten years - a gentle and subtle wine on it last legs now and should be drunk soon
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11/27/2019 - vinelouse wrote: 92 Points
The oldest in a flight of miscellaneous Barberas and showed naturally a bit restraint, almost diluted in comparison but shined with immaculate balance. Very nice.
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1/20/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich and powerful and need decanting, a half hour and off to the races of saddle leather, blackberry, chocolate coffee and spice. Smooth and mouth-filling with rounded tannins and rich concentrated fruit and stone pine and cypress.
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4/30/2015 - EirikM wrote: 91 Points
A deep, brooding and powerful wine, which drinks well now. Shows best with food as this takes the edge off the rather high alcohol and pronounced oak. On the other hand, the tannins have softened and don't intrude much beyond providing firm grip. Mushroom and liqueur-filled chocolate complement the fruit and wood and add up to good complexity. Whereas there is nice maturity developing here, there's also still a juicy quality to the wine, which I think is important for the overall balance.
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7/9/2013 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really surprised at how well this wine held up. Fruit is rich and dark - much richer than expected for a Barbera. The oak and tannins have integrated nicely with the acid. Want to drink more.
$59.99 OH retail in 2003
www.austinbeeman.com
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3/12/2012 - Smooth Jazz wrote: 95 Points
Bought 5-6 cases each of the Barbera Gallina 1998 and 1999 upon release. Had no idea, I still had a bottle of the 1999 left. Wine is absolutely superb with few signs of being over the hill. The tannins which softened after about an hour provide a showcase for the still present red fruits, spice and integrated oak. As good as it was, believe the wine drank great upon release and for a few years after when the fruit and level of extract stood up to the tannins a bit more. BTW, these wines have withstood the test of time better than most (not all) barbera's from the late 1990s.
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7/30/2011 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
Opaque crimson, blackberry and vanilla oak. Tasty but anonymous and unremarkable.
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7/7/2011 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Is this "classic" Barbera? Does it show terroir? Maybe not. Is it modernist and oaky? Sure. Who cares? This is delicious. Lots of ripe, intense fruit that's showing no signs of slowing down, but it's not raisiny in the least. The oak adds some spice and caramel/vanilla notes but is nicely integrated now, as this is showing none of that grainy, paky oak tannin that I hate. Really nice acid balances the the ripeness so that you don't get tired of drinking this after one glass.
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12/2/2009 - daniei wrote: 94 Points
exceptional ...had no idea barbara's could be this good.Big and bold and very colourful with a long baroloesque finish. This wine will still last a long while.
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1/17/2009 - JPF16 wrote: 96 Points
Great nose, great fruit, great balance, grat finish... singing right now.
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5/2/2006 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
Very serious, grippy, but loads of fruit and fragrance.
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4/1/2006 - duchamp wrote: 94 Points
Bright ruby with a focused nose of red fruit, earth, truffles, smoke, tar and toast, fresh, rich and lively on the palate, lots of acid but well balanced, tons of complexity, long finish with hints of caramel, mocha and oversized dusty tannins
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8/2/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
My last bottle of 6, sad to see this one go. Still showing very good form with a nose of flowers and leather, a palate of explosive raspberry, chewy, definitely showing a little more wood than I recall from the past, but wow what an expression of fruit!
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11/13/2004 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
RICH FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. BIG GOING IN, BUT HAD A SILKY MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH. IMPRESSIVE.
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7/9/2004 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Oh my, this was my best bottle of this yet. Out of a 6-pack I am down to one remaining bottle. Popped, poured and wowed. The nose shows explosive aromatics of shoe polish, crushed raspberry, blackberry, and some toast. The palate is both leathery and lush with ample acidity. What blew me away was the 60 second finish that just coated your mouth and left you salivating for another sip. Spectacular!
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3/14/2004 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Outstandingly good. Full-on fruit with depth. Blackberry and cherry. Very smooth. Complex, slight shortness on the finish. Great, bright acidity made it delicious with food.
Paired: Pizza
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10/28/2003 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Wow, what gorgeous aromatics of violet and raspberry jam; this stuff simply soars out of the glass! The palate starts very black but opens with time. This boasts explosive fruit with some black, brooding, leathery, shoe-polish notes in the background. I wonder if this is slightly tinged with VA, but even if so it works for this wine. Nice initial acidity keeps the finish perky. This started out a bit dry, but even with just 20 minutes in a decanter it is filling out nicely and gaining more and more weight with time.
DAY 3: Wow, this stuff doesn't quit. Another half bottle in the fridge for 3 days has barely budged. Velvety fruit, lush raspberry, this really coats the palate. If anything the fruit has gotten more primary over the last few days. I really love this juice!
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9/1/2003 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
(Cinci off-line) Delicious and an example of how good Barbera can be. Very nice fruit and balanced acidic with good tannins. Spicy elements and earthy undernotes. Well-balanced.
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7/11/2003 - Jock wrote: 93 Points
Really good if bigger than traditional Barberas. Very drinkable and slightly less well-balanced than 1998 or 2000 making it the vintage to enjoy while the others blossom. The Barbera Galina IMO is Rivetti's best red wine. (The Moscato is the definition of what Moscato should be.)
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6/7/2003 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
(Dinner with Christophe & Alex) Had this with pesto lasagne and broccoli di rape. Sweet nose with a candied raspberry/chambord element. On the palate this was fairly grapey at first, although with the food it matched well. An impressive wine, nothing serious, lots of fun, but not the same as the bottle I had last time.
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4/24/2003 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Holy Toledo, right out of the 55-degree cellar and straight out of the bottle this thing is exploding from the glass and is amazingly concentrated on the palate. I can't wait to watch this unfold over the next few hours. What a nice way to break out of a week dominated by Kosher for Passover wines. An hour later, this has settled down a bit but is still a wine of amazing intensity. A nose with very predominant blackberry, toasty oak, and a high-pitched, almost minty, hint. Luscious. The palate has nice sweetness but also has a dark, brooding element with a lot of structure. An hour later, the dark, brooding nature is still there, but the structure has receded to the background and this is now silky smooth. This wine is highly extracted but not jammy and overbearing. The finish is nearly a minute long, gorgeous. One of the best Italian wines I have ever tasted! (+2 days) Well I had 1/3 of a leftover bottle, so 2 nights later I gave it a shot. It was less delicious than before but still drinking very respectably. Great juice!
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