2018 Vietti ''Tre Vigne'' Barbera d'Asti

Staff Reviews

DO

Dejah Overby

Dejah Overby

I first tasted this wine in the beginning of this year in March and since then I've been going back for more. Not only because of its attractive price but Vietti's Barbera d'Asti is a true over deliverer that easily evolves over a 2 to 3 day period. The nose is so inviting of loganberries, mission figs, damson plums, and rosemary bush. There is so much delightful aromas to dig through on the nose, it will make you want to smell before every taste. Then out comes nice chewy grip, purple, red berries, fruit skin tannin, full mouthfeel texture so round and lush. This is a silky and forward wine, lengthy and satisfying. I've enjoyed this with a variety of foods from a pastrami sandwich for lunch to a more serious dish for dinner of agnolotti with brown butter and sage.

Notes

Vietti's Barolos are annually some of the most sought-after (and expensive) wines from the region, but like many an iconic estate whose wines remains outside the price range of the average consumer, they always produce remarkable entry-level wines that are often category-defining in their own rights. The 'Tre Vigne' Barbera is Vietti expression of the "second grape" of Piedmont. The wine is sourced from vineyards around Asti planted at a density of approximately 4500 vines per hectare. It's finished in a combination of barrique, large oak foudres, and stainless steel. This Barbera sits squarely in the red fruit portion of the spectrum with lovely acidity backing up the already expressive fruit characteristics. Sweet spices round out a quintessential Barbera profile. While the Barolos may be inaccessible to most, this wine is a perfectly excellent example of the quality of one Piemonte's most revered estates.