Barbera
Elio Grasso Barbera d’Alba Vigna Martina 2021
"Raised half in new oak and half in used barrique, the 2021 Barbera D'Alba Vigna Martina is a brooding and dark beast with an opaque dark purple color and forward oak spice notes of bourbon, baked plum, black cherries, menthol, and dark earth. It feels hot on the nose and is full-bodied on the palate, with ripe tannins and tangy acidity. Its ripe, oaky profile demands more time in bottle to show at its best. This is a robust, nearly full-bodied red to cellar for another couple of years and drink over the following 6-8. It's quite powerful, but it’s going to appeal to a lot of New World drinkers." - Jeb Dunnuck
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d’Alba 2021
"Starting with thick concentration and inky darkness, the Luciano Sandrone 2021 Barbera d'Alba has cooked fruit aromas and some savory tones too, such as leather, spice and a hint of dusty licorice root. The style is big, and this wine is conventional with big juicy sensations. It's all very elaborate for a Barbera d'Alba, but we are talking about a vintage that naturally delivers extra concentration. Production is 25,000 bottles." - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
Elio Grasso Barbera d’Alba Vigna Martina 2020
"The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina offers an appealing combination of fruit intensity with Monforte structure and savoriness. Scorched earth, leather, tobacco, cedar and dried herbs all open in the glass. A lengthy ferment with submerged cap maceration yields a distinctly Barolo-like Barbera with a good bit of complexity but less overt fruit than is often found in most Barberas." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
