My Favorite Wine…

this week anyway

2014 De Forville Barbaresco

Regular price: $37.99

Sale Price: $29.99

Barbaresco is a wine, made in a tiny place in Piedmont, in the northwest of Italy. Barbaresco must be 100% Nebbiolo. Spiritually, (Really? I just wrote ‘spiritually’ about a grape), Nebbiolo is closest to Pinot Noir (not Aglianico which some wine writer suggested some years ago. I can’t believe that he’s still writing about wine. But I digress). Like Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo is supple and elegant rather than viscous and powerful. It offers understated flavors rather than bombastic ones. Its medium bodied but with vibrant acidity and solid grip. Made classically, it’s never a blockbuster, therefore it never gets huge scores from the wine press, because, mostly, they are stilling seeking their first clue.

The 5th generation descendants of the founder, Gioacchino De Forville, still own and operate this 150 year old winery located in the commune of Barbaresco. They are traditionalists but rather than turning their backs on modern technology, choose to use it to enhance rather than alter their style. The style is decidedly ‘old school’. The reds are traditionally vinified, being fermented on the skins throughout a cuvaison that may extend for as long as 4 weeks. At the end of November, the wines are racked into large oak barrels [50 to 60 hectoliter size] and the malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. Several rackings will be done during the first year and thereafter the wines will remain in barrel for an additional 2 years without a racking and then bottled without filtration. Its a wine of finesse and polish with classic expression of dried cherry, roses and leather. Full, yet not weighty, the wine finishes with taut tannins and a firm grip.  It’s, frankly, a delight.