2006 Valpane Barbera del Monferrato Rosso Pietro

"2006 was an exceptional year in Piedmont and allowed these grapes to get an extra level of ripeness with a quasi late harvest. Barbera grapes naturally have high acid so the extra ripeness is easily carried with the great structure in this wine. I find that Barbera not unlike Pinot Noir elevates its aromatics when planted in limestone soils and the complexity in this wine is really unique. The wine is fermented in open topped wooden vats with a touch of carbonic maceration and then moved to Tonneaux the 500 liter barrels a bit bigger than 2 barriques for 18 months of aging. This wine exudes Marasca cherries and if you have never had real Marasca cherries well you won't know the degree to which you are missing the flavors there is nothing like this flavor. There is a certain wildness in the wine an earthy complexity that mingles with the sweet, fragrant powerful focus of the fruit. The wine is rich, fleshy and succulent yet very well balanced, it has an amazing drinkability it just seems to flow and it is so easy to drink. I like to think this is a BBQ wine and this time of the year with something off the grill it would be spectacular. One note of caution when the temperatures get warms you should make sure your red wines are in the 60's temperature wise, it helps tremendously." -Greg St.Clair