2008 Michele Chiarlo Barbera D’Asti Superiore Le Orme, Italy

Humble hues…Rich, dark red with a garnet-violet rim

Simplistic scents…Berries and cream (specifically raspberry and blueberry), cherry candy

Cheap thrills…I’ve begun to test the waters of unfamiliar wines, this time centering on red wines from Italy. Every three months or so, I get a little bored with the “same ol’ same ol’” and go in search of a new wine. Last time it was Pinot Noir, before that Beaujolais. This time it’s not a particular wine, but a region: Italy. Up until recently my journey into Italian territory had been limited to very inexpensive red blends and grocery store Chianti. Then I went out on a limb on a 20 dollar bottle of Nebbiolo and here I am reviewing a relatively inexpensive Barbera from the same region in Italy, Piedmont. I could write an entire review comparing the two Italian reds but that would be a disservice to both of them; instead I will give this wine the due it so justly deserves. First off this wine is what I would describe as unassuming, rustic even bordering on quaint, but it is a pleasure to drink. There isn’t a whole lot going on; the attack tastes of near-ripe plums and strawberry with just a hint of sour cherry. The mid-palate is very smooth as this is not a tannic wine and that fact shows up in the fact that the focus of the mid-palate is all about subtle alcohol acidity and just a nibble of astringency around the outside edges of my tongue. The segue from mid-palate to finish is seamless and leaves me almost believing this to have a somewhat short finish, which it doesn’t. The finish is medium in length and comes back to flavors of sour cherry, young plum and strawberry, and adds tart raspberry and just a hint of nectarine on top. This is a medium bodied wine that knows just what it’s about and doesn’t try to bring any confusing ideas of grandeur but is pitch perfect just as it is. There is a nice aftertaste of nectarine, plum skins and sharp cheddar (I know that seems weird but after every sip I thought I was chewing just a small bite of sharp Irish cheddar).

Overall, this wine is exactly what it advertises itself to be, a simple but enjoyable Italian red with a small price point. Nine dollars is a bargain for this wine, and that combined with how pleasurable an experience this wine is to drink gets it a solid good QPR from me. I can’t list this as a great QPR only because it really isn’t a great wine, but it doesn’t try to be a great wine all it wants to be is a solid wine that can be enjoyed with food or without. I advise drinking this with pizza or hamburgers though it stood up to a pork roast as well. I highly recommend this wine for just about any occasion especially if you enjoy sweet-sour wines or just about any wine from Italy, this should be right up your alley.

Michele Chiarlo Vini Classici del Piemonte

2008 Tamas Estates Double Decker Red, California

Color Spectrum…Red with a cool violet rim

The nose knows…Currant, cherry, damp earth

Nice and tasty…Grabbed this one from my local supermarket just on a whim when I was picking up a take and bake pizza. I liked the idea of a Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Sirah/Barbera blend paired with a slice of pepperoni. So after the pizza was done I poured myself a small glass of this wine; unfortunately I wasn’t too impressed. It was an ok pairing but the wine needed more time to breathe (I’d poured the glass 30 minutes prior and had it sitting in my 60 degree wine cooler waiting for the pizza to bake). So I put the bottle back and ate the rest of my pizza with a Malbec that I needed to finish off. I came back to this wine over the weekend after my wife purchased a Vinturi for me at Costco. This was the first wine I poured through my Vinturi. Sure the wine had sat open for a day and a half now, but I wanted to see what the Vinturi would do to the wine. One word: yum. The attack is perfectly proportioned raspberry/cherry flavors mingling nicely with some black pepper and tar built on a foundation of sharp cut grass and enigmatic wood smoke. The mid-palate holds a decent amount of alcohol heat and bite, but that suits this wine just fine; and the tannins seem a bit muted but they are present more towards the finish than the mid-palate itself. Speaking of the finish, it’s smooth and medium length with wonderfully subtle flavors and textures. I can taste black and red currants, cherry jam, leather, cinnamon and more of the aftertaste of vanilla rather than the full effects of that spice. The aftertaste of this wine is exceedingly pleasant; very mild cherry skin and wet grass flavors seem to cool the tongue of the lingering heat from the alcohol. This is a medium bodied wine that edges just a hint into full bodied territory.

Overall, this was a huge surprise. I didn’t expect to find so much complexity in a 9 dollar supermarket red blend. Sure I’ve gotten great red blends from my supermarket before, but most of those were from vineyards that are very recognizable for their quality and price. This threw me for a loop. It’s a very good bottle with flavors that will hold your attention and enough complexity to lift it above other wines that are double the price. I enjoyed the bottle to the very last drop; the only beef I have is that it is just a little difficult to pair with food. In fact, I gave up trying after my third attempt (2 failures, 1 success) and just finished the last two glasses without food. And this sips just fine all by itself. This gets a good QPR rating, almost getting a great stamp but the pairing failures I had took that away. Even so, I have to recommend this as a must try and a must buy if you enjoy complex yet balanced red blends on a budget.

Tamas Estates