Wines from Italy – Barbera Comparative Asti vs. Alba
Not long ago, I went to a wine tasting that featured Italian wines from the regions of Asti, Alba, and one from Piedmont. It was held at the Block 7 Wine Company in Houston. Best of all, it was free!
This event interested me for a couple of reasons: 1) I LOVE Italian reds and wanted to expand my wine pallet with some wines I had never tasted. 2) I thought it would be really fun to taste and compare wines from different regions. It’s amazing how different areas and the slight differences in climate can differentiate wines.
I saw the tasting listed in the Juice, a weekly wine event email I receive. It was at the last minute, so my wine buddies couldn’t join me. However, I am never shy about doing things by myself, and especially if it has to do with wine!
The tasting was held in the wine store area at Block 7 by Jason Cottle of Domaines Estates distribution. He gave a lovely presentation and had a lot of knowledge about the wines.
The three neighboring Provinces of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria incorporate the Langhe and Monferrato hill region in the centre of Piedmont, limestone and sandstone deposits laid down by the retreating Adriatic some 5 million years ago, and are home to some of Italy’s finest red wines, plus some famous whites. Asti city is in the centre of this area and is the major city of this notable wine district.
So here are the wines I tasted:
2008 Castelvero – Piedmont (about $15 bottle) – This was a Barbera aged in stainless steal. The region is just southeast of Asti. It doesn’t get the notoriety as Asti because it’s just outside that region. But the vineyard produces a great wine every year and it’s meant to be enjoyed upon its release. Nice fruity flavor with lots of berry tones. It’s got a crisp and clean finish, but smooth.
2007 Araldica – Asti (about $16 bottle) – This is another Barbera wine. Albera is the ancient name for the Barbera when the grape was grown in the late 1200s. There is a complexity with the wine and it is aged in 20% new oak barrels with a mixture of older barrels and larger tanks. So you kind of get that mouth feel from the wood with older oak barrels, and then hints of vanilla flavor and complexity comes from the new oak barrels. The one thing about this wine is that not from a single site. They harvest grapes from various areas around Asti. The producer wants to create a classic Barbera, so they make sure to get the grapes that reflect this. This wine was very fruit forward, and had that very smooth European rich feel finish on the tongue.
2008 Damilano – Asti (about $24 bottle) – This wine producer got their reputation from Barolo, like a lot of producers from the Piedmont region. It’s located north of Asti where a lot of the Barolos are grown. This is an amazing wine and this is the first 2008 Barbera to get a DOCG certification. It’s aged in a little of the new French oak barrels and then larger tanks. With this wine, you can taste the oak and it has a slight peppery finish to it.
2007 Pio Cesare – Alba (about $29 bottle) – This producer is known for their Barbaresca and Borolo. This producer always gets great press every year and they have some the best highly rated Italian wines. Because of their history, they were founded in 1881 and have a long history of wine making. It’s an amazing wine from just southeast of Alba. They own and control all of their vineyards and sites. This wine was made with the history and tradition of an amazing Italian wine. It has a great nose with hints of blackberry and plum with a very smooth finish. THIS WAS MY FAVORITE ONE!!
2006 Coppo, Camp du Rouss – Asti (about $35 bottle) – This wine also has a long history of wine making, now with 5th generation of family wine makers. Their last name is Coppo. This producer doesn’t make wines that are for the current moment, but they produce wines that are true to the region. The vineyard is located really closer to the town of Alba than Asti. It has a great softness when you first taste it, and has a slight acidity that is quickly dissipates on the finish. This is one of those wines that really change as you sit there and sip it.
