Araldica Corsini Barbaresco 2004

I'm a fan of Araldica. They are a group of wineries in Piedmont, Italy that produce very drinkable, affordable wines that still manage to do a good job of reflecting the style of the region.

Their Albera Barbera d'Asti is one of our favourite £5 bottles, and their Gavi "La Luciana" is quite good as well (both available from Waitrose for ~£5/bottle). These are all from what I think is probably a "value" range, but they are solid wines and great value for money.

Wines bearing the Barbaresco DOCG are made from the Nebbiolo grape variety, which has a reputation as being fiercly tannic, and the wines must be aged for at least 2 years before release. Barbaresco can be a very powerful, long-lived and expensive wine, as can its sister wine Barolo, made in a similar style from Nebbiolo.

If you've never had a Barbaresco before, and don't want to shell out £30 or more for one, this is a good one to try. It has delicious cherry aromas and flavours and, while not the longest finish, it has a bit of grip to it. I think Piedmontese reds are my favourite wines (so far), and this is a good, affordable example.

The Araldica range is frequently on sale at Waitrose, and it's worth picking some up if you see it. At the time of this post, the Corsini Barbaresco at Waitrose has moved on to the 2005 vintage.

Araldica
Corsini Barbaresco DOCG 2004
Piedmont, Italy
Waitrose
£11.99
3.5/5