Piemonte! As goes WBW, so goes SLG!

I got an email from B today exclaiming her disappointment that she wasn’t able to get the Wine Blogging Wednesday together in time and that it is for Piemonte wines. Not to worry B, I’ve got your back. McDuff’s Food and Wine Trail will have a posting from SLG!

I love Piemonte for a wine region, it is perhaps one of my favorites. The wines have been kissed by the land with wonderful herb and floral qualities that I think compare with the garrigue of Côtes du Rhône. Mind you, I’m using this as a datum of comparable magnitude, not a head-to-head comparison. That would be silly and violate the proposition that all terroir are created unequally.

I love Barbera. I love Barbera for its floral notes and its bouncy fruit. It is a wine that does well oaked or not. All of the Barbera wines that I have had have been from Sonoma. This is my first Piemonte DDOC Barbera. Let’s see how this did. Will I be happy or disappointed?

Barbera
Mattei
Piemonte DDOC
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $13.99

Color: Ruby
Intensity: Moderately Dark
Aromas: Rose, ham, mushroom, raisin, savory herbs
Flavors: Cherry, strawberry, licorice, blueberry, plum
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Mild tannins,
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This is just a delightful wine with some dried flowers, berries and licorice. It has very mild tannins. Very drinkable with a wonderful mouth feel. There is a smokiness to it that isn’t barrel or toast, but more like caramelized ham which I wish I was having with this. After a while, the plum kicks in. As I would expect from a Piemonte, this wine has not been oaked and smoked to death. I’m just digging this wine.


I would have this wine with glazed ham, tomatoes and mozzarella or even without food. (Okay, I’m nuts, of course you should have food with this!) The fruitiness of this wine and the floral essences would be just great with bacon wrapped tenderloin. Perhaps a ratatouille, yah, that would work too. I would even go Mediterranean with eggplant salads. Oooh, tapas! Bacon wrapped dates and orejas.