I know a lot of California wine writers who seem to have a lot of disdain for Italian red wine grapes, mostly, as nearly as I can tell, because Italian red wine grapes tend to be high in acid while a lot of California red wines tend to be pretty low in acid compared to wines from almost anywhere in the world.
For me, that first sip of an Italian Barbera or Sangiovese can be a bit jarring. But as you take a few more, you find that the acidity in the wine actually draws you back for more. It makes you hungry, and makes you realize that the wine itself isn't meant to be the meal. These are wines that were always intended to accompany food.
Coppo 2013 L'Avvocata Barbera d'Asti DOCG ($15) Supposedly this wine was named for the very rigid woman lawyer who owned these vineyards before the Coppo family bought them. The wine itself is great, and not nearly so intimidating. Aged in stainless steel and matured in concrete tanks, this ruby red Barbera is unpretentious but serious, with juicy blueberry, raspberry and chocolate flavors, great acidity and freshness and remarkable length and balance for a wine in this price range. 90
No comments:
Post a Comment