March 5, 2023 - Drank over three nights. Good 1 and 2, not so much day 3. Black cherry, red fruit, some earth and wood, more across palate than nose, balanced acidity, a bit of grip on first opening. Better with food than alone. As others noted, I go back and forth on this, have had better Barberas, but did enjoy the fruit pop.
March 24, 2021 - About same impression as last bottle,maybe a tad better, nice red fruit, black cherry, some substance with light earth, wood, balanced with good acidity to keep fruit interesting. Drank over 3 nights, held up well.
November 13, 2020 - Middle of the road barbera, some nice red fruit but not quite the richness, acidity, or layers to excel. See how next bottle fares, given some reviews suggesting there may be more there, somewhere.
July 8, 2019 - Not nearly as good as the past bottle. The vibrant, high toned nature remains but the fruit has faded unfortunately. Not a lot of pleasure here. Needs food badly. Sweetens some with 24 hours of air but not nearly enough. (83)
May 13, 2018 - corked
August 4, 2017 - I'm not sure it gets much better at $13.50. Full nose of bright fresh cut cherry and fresh herbs. Palate is round and plump and very fresh. Clean cherry finish.
July 31, 2017 - Ripe berries, herbs (thyme), and earth on the nose - lifted. Juicy, high acid wine. Needs food badly. Serve it something fatty and enjoy. Delicious. (88)
July 6, 2017 - Producer I really love but maybe I'm just really not that big of fan of Barbera? This is the 3rd Barbera I've drank in the last sixth months that didn't rock me. Barbera is worlds different from Nebbiolo that I happen to adore. For me Barbera is more like a Zin with hyped up acid and less Alc. Dang, I want to love Barbera but, I just don't.
April 27, 2017 - A classic Barbera from a legendary producer, but not for the faint of palette. It's dense and muscular, with a rough tannic edge and lots of acidity. Do not drink this beast without food. Respect it.
April 21, 2017 - A private lunch (Restaurant Apicius *, Bakkum, NL): Fresh, floral, elegant, spices, ripe cherries, bright and transparent, perfect weight, good length.