Life is too short to drink bad wine

Conterno is well known family name in Piemonte. Franco Conterno, however, is a "manager" that is new to me but having tried this Barbera several times lately I know I need to try more of his wines. There are many Barbera on the market but this must surely be one of the best in the ordinary price range. Complex smell of red fruit, dark cherries, spices and hint of chocolate. The taste is very smooth and fruity with a beautiful balance. The acidity is perhaps on the low side for being Barbera. The grapes have been destemmded and spent some time in 225l oak before bottling. The wine will go with many different dishes. Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2015 Franco Conterno Ca 14€ or 200 NOK

This Barbaresco by Scarpa from 2007 is drinking beautifully now. The grapes come from a plot called Tetti in Neive, thus the name Tettineive on the bottle. The vilification and maturation has taken place in big french oak casks and one year in bottle before being released. Beautiful smell of rose, tar, red fruit and cherries. Elegant taste with still firm tannins and medium + acidity. Needs a bit of time to open in the glass. Works well in a  Zalto glass and with confit de canard. Barbaresco "Tettineive" 2007 Scarpa ca 35€

There are many different Barberas around some from Alba and some from Asti. Asti claims the best Barbera come from their district as they use the best plots to grow the Barbera grape. Vietti produce from both areas and this one from Asti is certainly very good. Here is their description of the wine: Grapes:  100% Barbera Winemaking:  from La Crena region, located in the village of Agliano Terme with an average density per hectare of 4800 plants. The oldest part of the vineyard has been planted in 1932 in a loam-clay type of soil, with a southern exposure. The total surface is about 6 hectares. Fermentation lasts around couple of weeks in open-top stainless steel, with mechanical punching downs, délestage and many open-air pumping overs. After this, the wine macerates for another week, then it is racked and it is moved to oak for malolactic. Aging:  Barriques, big oak vats and steel tanks for approximately 18 months.  Description:  Rich ruby color wi...

This is a delightful version of the Dolcetto grape. From two single plots in Barolo called Cote & Fossati. The colour is always dark red with a wonderful purple rim, a bit like blueberry juice. On the nose it is filled with dark fruit, a bit smoky and something acidic, like beetroot in a way. The taste is fresh, juicy, firm with a lovely acidity and medium soft tannins. Quite a long aftertaste and medium body. No oak, just bottle maturation. This is the perfect red wine for warm summer days. Vajra, the producer, is a very reliable manager for Dolcetto, Barbera and Barolo. A name to follow. Dolcetto d'Alba 2013 Coste & Fossati Vajra Piemonte

The grape Dolcetto has a lovely purple colour that hangs around in the glass for a very long time. A bit like beetroot in a way. This Dolcetto d'Alba by the newly diseased Bruno Giacosa is a full-bodied version packed with fruit and elegant tannins. Lovely smell of the red and dark berries. Supersoft and fruity taste with a refreshing acidity and well integrated medium high tannins. Elegant and juicy wine. Try with pasta, light meat dishes or on its own. Dolcetto d'Alba 2016 Bruno Giacosa Ca 20€

Inspired by a recent trip to Piemonte we opened a bottle of Barbaresco made by Michele Chiarlo. Quite a medium pale red colour with a brick red rim. Nose is dominated by dried fruit, red fruit and rose petals. Extremely balanced taste with super soft tannins and a long velvety finish. Vinification in steel tanks with storage 18 months in big oak casks. From an area in Barbaresco that has a more sandy soil. Barbaresco "Reyna" 2009  Michele Chiarlo Ca 30€

There are many different Barbera on the market. These are normally easy drinking wines. The cheapest ones are quite basic while the more expensive ones are normally more complex. The two main areas are Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti. Normally the difference between the two are tricky to discover but I have been positively surprised by the wines from the Asti region lately. This single plot Barbera from Agliano Terma caught my eye at a tasting at Vietti. It must be one of the best Barberas I have ever tried. The oldest part of the La  Arena   vineyard was planted in 1932 in a loam-clay type of soil, with a southern exposure. The total surface is about 6 hectares. Fermentation lasts around couple of weeks in open-top stainless steel, with mechanical punching downs, délestage and many open-air pumping overs. After this, the wine macerates for another week, then it is racked and it is moved to oak for malolactic. The wine is aged in b arriques, big oak vats and steel t...

Barbera is a very user friendly grape variety. It can go with many dishes due to its low tannin level and pleasant acidity. Barbera has quite often a very dark purple red colour which is very pleasant to observe. The nose is filled with ripe red and dark fruit, cherries and some herbs. On the palate it is full bodied with lots of fruit and also delightfully refreshing acidity and some very soft tannins as well. Many producers from Asti claim that their Barbera is better than those from Alba as the Barbera in Asti are grown on the best plots while in Alba they grow Nebbiolo on the best plots. Food for thoughts at least and I must say that I have many times been very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Barbera from Asti, this one being no exception. Barbera d'Asti 2014 La Vigna Vecchia Cossetti Clement&Figli Ca 15€ or 180 NOK

Arneis is a local aromatic white grape in Piemonte in Italy. The best area for this grape is in the hills of Roero northwest of Alba and Giacosa Fratelli produce an elegant and reasonable of example of this grape. The colour is medium yellow and a refreshing bouquet of tropical fruit, sweet apples, lime and yeasty notes. Bone dry white wine with lots of fruit and nicely balanced acidity. This is not a wine for storage and should be drunk young. Perfect as an aperitif or with fish, salad and cheese. Roero Arneis 2016 Giacosa Fratelli ca 150NOK or 7€

This is just a wonderful complex and drinkable Barbara d'Alba by Bruno Giacosa. Not the most reasonable one but certainly an example of how good a Barbara can be. Dark red purple colour. Wonderful and complex nose of dark fruit, chocolate, plum. Big juicy long and perfectly balanced taste with soft tannins and great finish. Just love it! Barbera d'Alba 2015 Bruno Giacosa Ca 20€ or 290NOK

Article copied from Decanter magazine. Bruno Giacosa, one of the leading lights of Piedmont for several decades, has died in hospital at the age of 88. Bruno Giacosa, a pioneer of Italian wine. Credit: Armit Wines TAGS: Highlights Bruno Giacosa  died during the night of Sunday 21 January, in Alba’s San Lazzaro hospital, aged 88 years old, according to  Italian news outlets . He had reportedly been burdened with ill health for some time. Giacosa had attained legendary status in Piedmont – as well as across Italy and beyond – having been part of a new wave of winemakers in the region. ‘One of Italy’s greatest wine producers of all time’ He had bought fruit and bottled Barolo and  Barbaresco  wines since the 1960s, but Giacosa acquired his own vineyard in 1982. His Falletto vineyard in  Serralunga   d’Alba  would go on to become one of the finest crus of the Langhe. He would later buy Barbaresco vineyards, mostly in...

Super lovely Barolo by Falletto produced in Bruno Giacosa cellar. 2005 is a "kind" year in Barolo with wines that are approachable early on.   Quite a medium red colour with red brown rim. Great smell of raisins, chocolate, cigar and some flowers. Well balanced wine with integrated tannins and a very long finish. Some cherries on the palate and medium + acidity. All notes above were done in a blindtasting. (Score 18.6) A great wine! Barolo 2005 Falletto Ca 80€

This is the 2013 addition of this Barolo by Borgogno with No Name. It was not classified as Barolo in 2005 so in protest Borgogno has kept the No Name label since 2007 on this Barolo with grapes from Cannubi and Fossati. Medium red colour with hints of red brown rim. Ripe dark fruit on the nose with hints autumn leaves, tar and some spice. Surprisingly approachable taste with quite soft tannins and acidity. It will improve with ageing, but it's drinking very well already now. No Name 2013 by Borgogno Barolo Ca 20€ or 280 NOK

Colline Novaresi is a wine region north west in Piedmonte which gained DOC status in 1994. The most used grape is Spanna (Nebbiolo) but other grapes like Barbera, Vespolina and Croatina are used in the wine making. This one is a Vespolina. Vespolina is a low-yielding variety thought to be the offspring of Nebbiolo. It has Nebbiolo's spicy characteristics, although its tannins tend to be softer. As a result, Vespolina is often used to help mellow youthful Nebbiolo-based wines and lift the blend's aromatics with hints of wild flowers, mushrooms and green tea leaves. Only a handful of pure Vespolina wines are produced. This Vespolina by Brigatti has a nose which is aromatic with red fruit, cherries and flowers. The taste is dominated by high tannins and acidity but it all works well together with the fruit and gives a long refreshing finish crying for some food. Very interesting acquaintance. Maria Vespolina 2015 Fransesco Brigatti Colline Novar...

There are many different Barbera d'Alba around. Many are easy drinking reds for lunch with some pizza or pasta and without too much complexity. But then there are some that have something extra both in terms of quality and also price admittedly. Sandrone is perfectionist and his Barbera delivers super quality every year. One of the features with Barbera is the deep dark red colour and the purple rim. The nose is dominated by dark cherries with hints of wood, chocolate and almonds. Perfectly balanced taste with plenty of body, fruit and acidity. Another feature with Barbera is the lack of tannins, if ever present, they are soft and well integrated into the long delicious aftertaste. Barbera d'Alba 2012 Sandrone Ca 25€ or 290NOK

This is a very unusual red from Colline Novaresi (DOC) in Piemonte. The main grape is Nebbiolo (like in Barolo and Barbaresco) but there are a small content of two rare grapes called Uva Rara and Vespolina as well. The colour is dark purple red with a purple rim. A colour that can remind you more of a Dolcetto or Barbera instead of Nebbiolo. It has a wonderful intriguing smell of red fruit like raspberries and redcurrant, lots of floral elements as well as liquorice. From the smell it very tricky to decide grape and region. The taste is however more nebbiolo like: lots of acidity and plenty of tannins. The wine require as such food to go along with it. Delicate and what I would call "chilled" (as in opposite to warm) fruit and a long aftertaste. A rare but delicious wine. Only 3000 bottles. Mot Ziflon 2013 Colline Novaresi Francesco Brigatti 14€ or 228 NOK

Gaja is one of the top producers in Piedmonte and that shows in this classy Barolo from 2007. This Barolo comes from two great family owned vineyards located in La Morra and Serralunga. In both sites, the soil is primarily calcareous clay and marl. Fermentation and maceration take place in stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks followed by 12 months ageing in barriques and an additional 12 months in large oak casks. The resulting wine is an harmonious and intriguing expression of two great Barolo terroirs with an intense, d eep dark colour with a very distinct red/brown rim.   A very rich bouquet of red berry fruits with attractive floral notes, tar and some smoke. The wine has a beautifully and  refined structure with superb length. Lovely stuff and drinking well now. Requires food.... Barolo Dagromis 2007, Gaja Ca 40£

There are some Barbera better than others and this one by Pelissero is one of the top class Barbera around. Barbera is recognized by it's deep red purple colour and the same goes for this Piani from 2012. The nose is quite intense with lots of dark fruit, plum and beet root . The taste is juicy with lots of fruit and a great acidity. Some tannins in the aftertaste which is of the smooth kind. Barbera d'Alba 2012 Piani Pelissero Ca 15€ or 220kr

This is a highly unusual wine from the Valle d'Aosta DOC (or Val d'Aoste DOC, in French ) located in the northwest of Italy. Surrounded by the Alps , the Valle d'Aosta is home to the highest  elevated vineyards in all of  Europe. The principal winemaking region of the Valle d'Aosta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea(fr, Doire baltée ) river with the city of Aosta serving as the central winemaking location. Donnas is a local co-operation who has created this silky and well balanced  Alpine Rosso. A blend of 85% Picotendro (the local name for Nebbiolo) and the rest split up between local varieties Freisa and Neyret. This wine complements its demanding tannins from the Nebbiolo grape with pure red fruit, provided by the other two components. Grown in rocky soils on steep slopes, this Rosso is considered to be the Barolo or Barbaresco of Vallee d’Aosta. Aged for at least two years in 25 HL oak casks, the wine gives a beautiful nose full of ...

Scarpa is one of the top producers in Piemonte and this Barbera that he makes is one of the most complex Barbera that exists.  Barbera is a juicy and not very complicated wine that is perfect for every day consumption as well as a lunch wine.  The wine has a dark cherry  like colour with a nose of plum, red fruit and hint of chocolate. The taste is full bodied with ripe tannins and a very nice balance.  It is perhaps a bit low in acidity but that can just be a vintage variation. Try with with pasta, cheese and tapas.