Red Wine Ciabot Berton Barbera Bricco San Biagio 2019. Decant one hour before serving. This luscious Barbera delights the eye with a vibrant ruby red hue and seduces the senses with jammy plums, red cherries and raspberry aromas and flavours. The grapes for this wine all come from the Bricco San Biagio hill where Ciabot Berton own a small vineyard planted with 60 year old Barbera vines. The light sandy soils here help create floral, elegant wines which rank among the region’s best Barberas. Thanks to the vibrant freshness and light oaky touch from the ageing in casks, this is a perfect match for pasta served with rich meaty sauces. Located in the small village of La Morra which is famed for its elegant, finely-structured Barolo wines, the Ciabot Berton winery has built a strong reputation for carefully-made, deeply expressive reds. The family-run estate is cared for by enologist Marco Oberto and his agronomist sister Paola who took over from their father Luigi in the 1990s. Even by Italian standards the Obertos have a deep connection with the land. A La Morra land register dating from 1200 mentions the family name, while references to the Obertos’ involvement in grape growing start appear from 1800. Today Marco and Paola enjoy making refined single vineyard wines, carefully tailoring their approach to get the best from each of their six vineyards. They also continue to use traditional winemaking techniques like long macerations and extended ageing in large Slovenian oak casks as well as practicing organic viticulture.
2019
Red Wine Ciabot Berton Barbera Bricco San Biagio 2019
Red Wine Ciabot Berton Barbera Fisetta 2019. Red cherry juice, blueberries and uplifting hints of vanilla and violets burst out of the glass, while the first sip reveals kirsch, plum jam and tobacco flavours and a velvety smooth texture. This easy-going Barbera is aged in stainless steel vats for 8 months after vinification, enhancing the juicy fruit character and retaining a crisp acidity. The youthful, fruit-forward personality and medium body make this a very versatile wine which is ideal to serve with hearty dishes like spaghetti and meatballs or other tomato-based pasta sauces. The winemaker Marco Oberto and his agronomist sister Paola have chosen to name this particular example Fisetta or firework” in reference to a local man named Berton who attempted to set up a fireworks factory close to where the winery now stands. The project came to an end when his fireworks accidentally caught fire and destroyed the building. All the grapes for the Fisetta come from Ciabot Berton’s vineyards in the highly-respected La Morra cru. Although the village is better known for its elegant, floral Barolos, the clay and chalk soils are also ideal for producing delicious Barberas. The Oberto family who own Ciabot Berton draw on generations of experience of viticulture in the region to craft stunning single vineyard Barolos and Barberas as well as more wallet-friendly reds which represent incredible value for money.
2019
Red Wine Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge 2019. In 1986 Michael Etzel was on vacation in Oregon when he found a 88-acre pig farm that was for sale on Ribbon Ridge in the Northern Willamette Valley. Along with his beau-frère” or brother-in-law, the famous wine critic Robert Parker, he decided to buy the property and plant Pinot Noir here. Today it is known as one of Oregon’s leading small producers, making exemplary wines from low-yielding vines that are farmed both organically and biodynamically. This handsome cuvee is testament to the estate’s switch in recent years from luscious and ripe Pinots to more elegant bottlings with greater polish and finesse. Fruit is sourced from selected vineyards on the estate and vinified using modern winemaking techniques to allow the beauty of the fruit and terroir to take centre stage. Crushed wild strawberries, red cherries, and hints of tea leaves and baked earth dominate on the nose, while the palate reveals a medium body complemented by smooth tannins and subtle freshness. Intense red fruit flavours linger on the palate, ending in a long finish seasoned with delicate spice and dried herbs. Try pairing with a generous platter of charcuterie, cheeses, or tomato-based pasta dishes.
2019