Popped and poured; consumed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2011 Barbera d’Alba pours a deep, garnet (with some purple) color with a near opaque core. Slightly hazy. No signs of particles or gas. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Boysenberries , mulberries, dark cherry, braised beef (no cap), oiled leather, dried leaf tobacco, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium tannins and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. This is really tasty right now. While I don’t think this is going to fall off a cliff soon, I also don’t think there is any reason to hold any longer. Drink now and enjoy while the fruits are still nicely balanced with the secondary characteristics.
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leather, phenolic, chocolate, dark cherry fruit on the nose, on the palate full masculin body needs some time to open up to show its full potential good lengh and well balanced acidity - not your everyday barbera.
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Had this not long after the 2016 and surprisingly enough the 16 was drinking way better. Maybe something off about this bottle but while I could tell it tried to have the greatness of this wine maker, nothing seemed to be in synch. I didn’t hate it but okay at best. Good thing I have more bottles of the 16.
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cherry colour, light rim, opaque. nose: bit fermented cherries, tart; some cooked red fruits. taste: high acid; cherries and sweet cherries; super-ripe tannin; soft; sweetness of sweet cherries in thick, long finish. Pronounced; fantastic balance.
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Le petit monsieur qui était solidement contre Berlusconi (comme la plupart de nous tous) a fait de ce vin un très bon achat.Un peu de champignons sêchés,bleuets,cassis,mûres m'aurait fait penser à un C9P d'un millésime frais.Belle longueur aussi. 91-92 pts.
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Uncorking released enveloping aromas from the bottle. Bright, reflective red. Red berry fruit flavors. Pretty strong lashings of acidity backed up by nicely integrated tannin. Silky mouthfeel. Very elegant Barbera. Brava!
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Weirdly reminds me of the last bottle I opened, a sandlands carignan, in the general structure - fruity, relatively open, but with a pretty strong tannic and acidic backbone. Call it a "serious" food wine. The fruit is a bit bright on the cherry side.
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Consistent with the last bottle, this opens a bit dull and unexpressive at first but blossoms beautifully overnight. Please give this wine the patience and attention it deserves! On day 2, sappy sweet blackberry pie goes up against dark brambly forest fruit, all the while supported by bracing acidity. Wonderful balance of black cherry syrup and bright energy on the finish. This has a lushness that appeals to critics and drives scores, though I definitely prefer the edginess of colder vintages like '08, '10 and '13 for both Nebbiolo and Barbera. Interesting to come back to this vintage after drinking the '11 Barolo last weekend. To that end, the 2011's exemplify MT's winemaking skills in the "heat" of adversity. While I would trade my remaining 2011's for the lean and mean 2013's, I wouldn't trade MT's barbera for anyone else's...in any vintage. I've been having fun with the entry level wines from big names recently: Mascarello, Rinaldi, Cappellano and Accomasso... though I'm hopelessly in love with the brilliance of Cantina Mascarello under the stewardship of Maria Taresa (and Alan).
Give this wine a score? Haha! There's no accounting for preferences... and that's exactly what this is for me.
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A bold, deep dark garnet color. The nose is very in your face and somewhat one dimensional, with a thick dusty, chocolatey layer and plenty of dark cherry fruit underneath it. It's not even all that unappealing but I would much prefer it to have just a bright fruity nose à la Giuseppe Rinaldi. On the palate the first thing to note is a similar dusty and chocolatey taste, a long with an unappealing licorice note, and quite silky mouthfeel. Beneath though is some serious structure that soon hits you like a two-by-four, painting the palate quite dry and bitter. Full bodied with very high acidity. While really difficult to enjoy on its own, the wine worked well enough with a ragù to not be considered a disappointment.
Day2: Oh my, the fruit has indeed started to penetrate the dusty, chocolatey layer! Nothing close to the G. Rinaldi yet, but there is now a sense of purity to the fruit on the nose. Likewise on the palate, the fruit seems just a bit brighter and the the wine as a whole is livelier and more playful. The finish while still very dry is not nearly as bitter as before, resulting in a better drinkability without food. Having said all that, I don't find the QPR here amazing and I was definitely expecting more considering the producer's reputation.
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opaque black cherry colour; violet rim. nose: ripe cherries; round with some tobacco notes; later turning into more heavy one. taste: acidity settled onthe medium level - but still crispy; ripe cherries, some sweet cherries; deep; rather full bodied. can be drunk solo.
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Barbera-typical with sour cherries and sweet strawberries, perhaps a bit too much towards the sweet fruit imo. Dark chocolate, a hint of spice and green herbs. Not very complex and still very young. Medium strong acidity on the palate and still kind of sweet. Strawberry and cherry, chocolate, coffee, green herbs and some sweetened nuts in the aftertaste. Solid structure with the slite complaint of being to sweet and jammy. Still, this is good stuff and of course, great winemaking, only I tend to raise my expecations of this particular Barbera and this is for me not on the same level as the 2010. Performs great to a homemade pizza. (doh!)
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Nydelig kirsebær på nesen. Stor intensitet. Heftig konsentrasjon, mørk frukt i anslaget. Nok friskhet til å holde balansen. Lang finish med ørlite bitterhet og fine tanniner. Ikke så kompleks, men en herlig fruktbombe. Ungdom.
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Big coffee and chocolate notes on the nose and palate. There is some dark red fruits but they're mostly buried. Medium plus in weight with a creamy texture, this is just about all hedonistic pleasure.
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10/9/2023 - thesternowl wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured; consumed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2011 Barbera d’Alba pours a deep, garnet (with some purple) color with a near opaque core. Slightly hazy. No signs of particles or gas. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Boysenberries , mulberries, dark cherry, braised beef (no cap), oiled leather, dried leaf tobacco, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium tannins and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. This is really tasty right now. While I don’t think this is going to fall off a cliff soon, I also don’t think there is any reason to hold any longer. Drink now and enjoy while the fruits are still nicely balanced with the secondary characteristics.
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10/9/2023 - thesternowl wrote: flawed
Corked! What a pity. Good thing I have another bottle.
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1/28/2021 - similia wrote: flawed
corked
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10/3/2020 - similia wrote: 89 Points
leather, phenolic, chocolate, dark cherry fruit on the nose, on the palate full masculin body needs some time to open up to show its full potential good lengh and well balanced acidity - not your everyday barbera.
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6/19/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Oh my, structure galore. Certainly benefits from 90 minutes of air in decanter. Digging it. recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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4/13/2019 - VINNICK wrote: 89 Points
Had this not long after the 2016 and surprisingly enough the 16 was drinking way better. Maybe something off about this bottle but while I could tell it tried to have the greatness of this wine maker, nothing seemed to be in synch. I didn’t hate it but okay at best. Good thing I have more bottles of the 16.
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3/25/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
This is still really tannic and primary with lots of tarry aromas. Could easily go another 5 or 7 years although I’m not sure any fruit will be left.
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5/4/2018 - Jeffyboy Likes this wine: 91 Points
cherry colour, light rim, opaque. nose: bit fermented cherries, tart; some cooked red fruits. taste: high acid; cherries and sweet cherries; super-ripe tannin; soft; sweetness of sweet cherries in thick, long finish. Pronounced; fantastic balance.
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1/22/2018 - phil the agony wrote: 91 Points
Le petit monsieur qui était solidement contre Berlusconi (comme la plupart de nous tous) a fait de ce vin un très bon achat.Un peu de champignons sêchés,bleuets,cassis,mûres m'aurait fait penser à un C9P d'un millésime frais.Belle longueur aussi.
91-92 pts.
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11/7/2016 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Noticeable aromas. Medium red. Enough acidity for succulence. Elegant for a Barbera.
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10/11/2016 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
Youthful and somewhat broad but nonetheless delicious in its current state. The wine became less rich and less cocoa-y with time in the decanter.
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8/22/2016 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Uncorking released enveloping aromas from the bottle. Bright, reflective red. Red berry fruit flavors. Pretty strong lashings of acidity backed up by nicely integrated tannin. Silky mouthfeel. Very elegant Barbera. Brava!
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7/25/2016 - Tubulus wrote:
Weirdly reminds me of the last bottle I opened, a sandlands carignan, in the general structure - fruity, relatively open, but with a pretty strong tannic and acidic backbone. Call it a "serious" food wine. The fruit is a bit bright on the cherry side.
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7/17/2016 - Dionysos 1920 wrote: 92 Points
Foncé, fruité, gras, encore assez tannique, très typé, fruits rouges et noirs, cassis, assez long en bouche pour un barbera
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3/21/2016 - danstrings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rounding out, nice brambly juicy jazzy fruit and spiciness.
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12/18/2015 - ChazGeorgetown14 wrote:
Consistent with the last bottle, this opens a bit dull and unexpressive at first but blossoms beautifully overnight. Please give this wine the patience and attention it deserves! On day 2, sappy sweet blackberry pie goes up against dark brambly forest fruit, all the while supported by bracing acidity. Wonderful balance of black cherry syrup and bright energy on the finish. This has a lushness that appeals to critics and drives scores, though I definitely prefer the edginess of colder vintages like '08, '10 and '13 for both Nebbiolo and Barbera. Interesting to come back to this vintage after drinking the '11 Barolo last weekend. To that end, the 2011's exemplify MT's winemaking skills in the "heat" of adversity. While I would trade my remaining 2011's for the lean and mean 2013's, I wouldn't trade MT's barbera for anyone else's...in any vintage. I've been having fun with the entry level wines from big names recently: Mascarello, Rinaldi, Cappellano and Accomasso... though I'm hopelessly in love with the brilliance of Cantina Mascarello under the stewardship of Maria Taresa (and Alan).
Give this wine a score? Haha! There's no accounting for preferences... and that's exactly what this is for me.
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7/28/2015 - kuumies wrote:
A bold, deep dark garnet color. The nose is very in your face and somewhat one dimensional, with a thick dusty, chocolatey layer and plenty of dark cherry fruit underneath it. It's not even all that unappealing but I would much prefer it to have just a bright fruity nose à la Giuseppe Rinaldi. On the palate the first thing to note is a similar dusty and chocolatey taste, a long with an unappealing licorice note, and quite silky mouthfeel. Beneath though is some serious structure that soon hits you like a two-by-four, painting the palate quite dry and bitter. Full bodied with very high acidity. While really difficult to enjoy on its own, the wine worked well enough with a ragù to not be considered a disappointment.
Day2: Oh my, the fruit has indeed started to penetrate the dusty, chocolatey layer! Nothing close to the G. Rinaldi yet, but there is now a sense of purity to the fruit on the nose. Likewise on the palate, the fruit seems just a bit brighter and the the wine as a whole is livelier and more playful. The finish while still very dry is not nearly as bitter as before, resulting in a better drinkability without food. Having said all that, I don't find the QPR here amazing and I was definitely expecting more considering the producer's reputation.
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3/28/2015 - Jeffyboy Likes this wine: 89 Points
opaque black cherry colour; violet rim. nose: ripe cherries; round with some tobacco notes; later turning into more heavy one. taste: acidity settled onthe medium level - but still crispy; ripe cherries, some sweet cherries; deep; rather full bodied. can be drunk solo.
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2/14/2015 - JohanPe wrote: 89 Points
Barbera-typical with sour cherries and sweet strawberries, perhaps a bit too much towards the sweet fruit imo. Dark chocolate, a hint of spice and green herbs. Not very complex and still very young.
Medium strong acidity on the palate and still kind of sweet. Strawberry and cherry, chocolate, coffee, green herbs and some sweetened nuts in the aftertaste. Solid structure with the slite complaint of being to sweet and jammy. Still, this is good stuff and of course, great winemaking, only I tend to raise my expecations of this particular Barbera and this is for me not on the same level as the 2010. Performs great to a homemade pizza. (doh!)
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9/30/2014 - hajoha wrote: 90 Points
Nydelig kirsebær på nesen. Stor intensitet.
Heftig konsentrasjon, mørk frukt i anslaget.
Nok friskhet til å holde balansen.
Lang finish med ørlite bitterhet og fine tanniner.
Ikke så kompleks, men en herlig fruktbombe. Ungdom.
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7/27/2014 - danstrings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great rich zesty red, juicy and brambly
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7/15/2014 - danstrings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely fresh bright brambly red, great food wine
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4/9/2014 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:
Big coffee and chocolate notes on the nose and palate. There is some dark red fruits but they're mostly buried. Medium plus in weight with a creamy texture, this is just about all hedonistic pleasure.
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