Introduction

Notes from the event orginizer:

Barbera is the third-most planted red varietal in Italy, after Sangiovese and Montepulciano. The earliest records of the varietal date to the 13th century, where Barbera was planted in the foothills around Monferrato in central Piedmonte in northern Italy, and Piedmonte is still where the best plantings are. Recent DNA tests indicate that Barbera may be related to Mourvedre, although the grapes produce very different wines.

Barbera vines are prolific, and left to their own will produce high grape yields and ordinary wine, the sort that shows up in pizzerias lined up on the mantle on top of the brick oven around most of Italy, and meant to be drunk within weeks or months of release (probably a good thing given the heat from the pizza oven). However, if carefully pruned to keep yields low and treated during vinification as a top of the line varietal, Barbera can produce stunning wines, with great cores of red cherry fruit balanced by Barbera's naturally higher acids, that can age effortlessly for a decade or two.

Outside of Italy, Barbera is grown in small amounts in California and Argentina, originally brought over by Italians at the beginning of the 1900s. In California, it was planted extensively in the Central Valley, where it was used as a blending grape for jug wines, and where the higher acids helped provide balance. However, a few vineyards were planted in the Shennandoah Valley in the Sierra Foothills, where the higher altitude seemed to bring out the best in the varietal. Cary Gott, winemaker at Montevina during the 1970s and early 1980s, discovered these vineyards and produced a string of outstanding Barberas from 1976 through 1981. In two years -- 1976 and 1980, he also made Special Selection Barberas from the best lots, and these remain some of the best wines of any varietal I've ever tried from that time period.

Tonight, we'll focus on the serious side of Barbera. We'll have two flights, the first focused on 2001 through 2006, and including for comparison the outstanding Lange from Pelissero called Long Now, a Nebbiolo-Barbera blend. In the second flight of Barberas from the 1980s and 1990s, we'll have examples from the two best Barbera domaines -- essentially the "first growths" of that appellation -- Briada and Hestae. Also included in this flight will be the 1980 Montevina Special Selection.

Flight 1 - Flight #1: (4 notes)

Flight 2 - Flight #2: (6 notes)