2003 Hastae Barbera d'Asti Quorum

• By Stephen Tanzer
  March 2010, (See more on Vinous...)

  (Hastae Barbera d'Asti Quorum) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  3/8/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (QUORUM Hastae) Quorum Dear Friends, This wine is going to surprise - even in a line-up of the region's top examples. As is my nature, I am usually skeptical of new-style wine (with high point scores..from 2003 no less) but I am not dismissive. To be so would be foolhardy and our email list members would be dealt a disservice. With that said, I was lead to this wine kicking and screaming (on a restaurant list) but I was wrong. What was on first impression an over-oaked, international wine turned out to be a cerebral and sultry beverage that will make many of you swoon with delight - especially after 8-10 hours of air. After dinner, I took the half-empty bottle home and it was even better on day 2-3 with a noticeable Braida influence in the style. Overall, this is a very serious wine for the tariff and a relative value in its class. I know many of you will balk due to the vintage but the wine doesn't lie. For those of you unfamiliar with this project, Hastae Quorum began in the mid-1990's as an attempt to show the world just how good Barbera can be (albeit, in a very modern sense). The wine is a "super Barbera" from a collaboration of top properties in Piedmont (Braida, Vietti, et al) with each grower required to submit their very best in each vintage. The individual properties supply raw material for the wine and the sum is blended to form a single, small production example of Quorum. Made in a decidedly extractive style, it would be easy to dismiss this as just another "Super Whatever" but the taster needs to peel a layer off the hype and allow this wine to open and aerate. Once past the obvious, the Quorum (and the 2003 version in specific) is true to the varietal and local aspect of Barbera while delivering an atypical mouthful of full bodied, deep and luminescent fruit. From a notable collection of arguably Asti's finest Barbera plots, the 2003 version exudes class and upbringing all while riding a wave of natural acidity and unctuous fruit that will please fans of everything from La Spinetta and Altare Vigna Larigi to Solaia (albeit, from different grapes): For more on Hastae Quorum, please see: http://www.hastae.it/gb/quorum.htm This parcel has impeccable provenance at a terrific price - less than half of what some are charging: 2003 Hastae Quorum (Barbera d'Asti) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy4328