2005 Barbacarlo Barbacarlo

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 91.8 points

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  10/22/2020 - atbarbar Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Incredible surprise (although it should not have been). Kept on a rack with no temp control, for many years. Color is very ripe pomegranate (the previous note is right on spot) with some brown on the edges. Nose is incredibly floreal, with lily and calla, also a bit of anise but very light. Then some leather and animal, some rustic smell, almost chicken poop, however very very light, not disturbing at all. On the palate very very evident tannins, somewhat green, grippy and only just starting to resolve but very very fine grained and sweet. Sweetness and acidity make the wine very drinkable although the structure is great and can last for a very long time (at least another 10 years). The taste follows very closely the description of the nose with floral notes, spices (including a muscat note, almost reminiscent of a brachetto secco, but buried into a lot of stuff) and finally a very long aftertaste that walks a very fine line with the tannins, sweetness, animal fur and balsamic vinegar even some licorice and tar. Very long. Great wine, in blind tasting this will be called an aged Barbaresco. Only the animal note could instill some doubts in calling it a Barbaresco. Does it ferment with partial destemming? the tannins seem to reveal that. The very last glass the second day with a lot of deposit at the bottom of the glass is very sweet balsamic and licorice stem.

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  10/14/2020 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points

  A blend of Croatina, Uva Rara, Ughetta (Vespolina) and Barbera sourced from the Barbacarlo Cru, all the fruit harvested simultaneously when Croatina is ready. Made in a very hands-off fashion: made with organically farmed fruit, fermented spontaneously in old oak casks, no temperature control, no additions, bottled unfiltered in the spring following the harvest with a small dose of SO2. 14% alcohol, 34,2 mg/l total SO2. Tasted in a Lino Maga 2015-1979 vertical.
  
  Luminous and rather translucent pomegranate color with a slightly evolved hue of maroon. Beautifully fragrant, slightly sweet-toned and subtly sauvage nose with bright, seductive aromas of pomegranate, some red cherry, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, light volatile notes of ether, a floral hint of violets and a touch of ripe bilberry. Lovely! The wine is dry, dense and clean on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of ripe red cherries, some sweet dark plums, a little bit of redcurrant jam, light developed notes of wizened dark fruits, prunes and meaty umami, a liqueurish hint of VA and a slightly acetic touch of balsamico. The overall feel is impressively structured and very balanced with the high acidity and still firm, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is complex, juicy and somewhat tannic with long, savory flavors of ripe cherries, some pruney notes, a little bit of roasted meat, light phenolic notes of peppery spice, a floral hint of perfumed violets and a sweet touch of dried figs.
  
  A beautiful, complex and impressively structured vintage of Barbacarlo that is easily among the most impressive vintages post-millennium - if not the most impressive one. Remarkable combination of power, structure, developed complexity and youthful energy. The wine certainly shows the funky undertones of Lino Maga, but the wine never once comes across as excessively wild and natty - instead this has tons of old school finesse that appeals to me greatly. Even though the wine is 15 years old already, it is only inching towards its drinking window and most likely the wine will need another 10-15 years - if not more - before it reaches its peak. Spectacular stuff, highly recommended.

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  4/13/2017 - cbforever1 wrote: 91 Points

  Timeless!

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  2/6/2017 - TrueLoker Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Sunday at the farmer's market. Vegetables, greens, trays of forest berries, pickles. Pharmacy is near. Bright, intense, fresh. With dashing enthusiasm, without losing the harmony and balance. The real beauty & history of Lombardy, autochthonous blends (Croatina 50%, Uva Rara 30%, Ughetta 20%) from legendary winemaker!
  Great old school ��������

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  2/28/2015 - JohanPe wrote: 89 Points

  Red fruit, liquorice, bacon fat, black currant. Finding a synthetic red note in the background. Firm palate, black currant and stem, drying tannins overshadows the fruit. Imo much too young at the moment, needs 5-10 years to really integrate, all depends of your tolerance for the dry finish. Potential.

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