2010 Francesco Clerico Barbera d'Alba

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 88.6 points

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  1/10/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 88 Points

  This Barbera is supposedly "past it's drinking window". I would respectfully say "poppycock" to that.
  It is drinking nicely now, showing some overwhelming barnyard notes upon opening, which blew off after 10-15 mins in the glass, revealing tart red cherry fruit, moist earth and forest floor, dried tobacco leaf, and some mint in the upper register.
  The palate shows off a medium-bodied red, with grippy tannins and tangy acidity, offering up sour red cherry, orange rind, menthol, and wet gravel.
  Drink this wine now through 2018. Very good food wine.

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  11/18/2016 - corka Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Solid Barbera showing positive acidity, bright cherry, smoke, tobacco, and forest floor on the nose, opens a bit over time, dark garnet in color, end with a better than average finish.

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  12/19/2015 - bevetroppo Likes this wine: 89 Points

  This wine makes a compelling case for considering barbera, at least barbera from around Monforte, as a world class wine. Though it's five years old, it feels like it's just beginning to open up and takes a good half hour to relax from it's fairly taut posture. Once given a little breathing room, the nose offers deep red plums, shoe leather, and after a while a satisfying impression of smoked meats. Considerable presence in the mouth, while only weighing in at a labeled 13% labeled ABV. Plenty of acidity to engage with my wife's superb bolognese.
  
  I get an overall impression of structure in this wine which makes me suspect that it receives a reasonable amount of oak in the form of large neutral botti. I'm going to stop here and see what I can learn about the actual winemaking...
  
  ...sadly google is not much help. This guy is seriously under the radar. The wine is organic and low sulfur, but I couldn't find a thing on how it's made. Blank facebook and linked in profiles? Where's the intrepid blogger when you need him/her?
  
  Reminds me a little of the style of Flavio Roddolo, which is to say, meticulous attention in the vineyard and cellar, and straddling a very satisfying line between barbara in Candyland and clubbing it to death with extraction and oak.

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  10/17/2015 - drrobvino wrote: 88 Points

  Delicious, straightforward Barbera, sour cherry fruit-driven wine with some minerality to make things interesting.

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  2/27/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 89 Points

  Excellent barbera, ready to go.

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