Pelassa San Pancrazio Barbera d’Alba 2021
- 92
- $65
- Drink by: 2025-2030
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A friend once told me that not liking Barbera was like not liking puppies. He had a point. Good Barbera makes for such an approachable and generous, warm and welcoming style of wine. From an exciting, if youthful, vintage. The team use both French and Slavonian oak. The colour here is a dark maroon with a cherry red edge. The nose exhibits notes of Kirsch, aniseed, red fruits, animal skins and undergrowth, leaf litter, cherries, blackcurrants, cold tea and beef stock. A juicy, fresh palate with a fine line of bright acidity, through to a lingering finish. Very attractive and will remain so over the next three to five years. Almost as good as a new puppy.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
