Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Barbera 2023

Cherry ripe, blueberry, faint rhubarb, and a liquorice root earthiness meld with baking spices – cinnamon and nutmeg. Quite attractive and varietal out of the gate making me want to dive in. The palate holds the same cherry ripe appeal along with a slightly mocha/cacao nib bitterness beneath the fruit. At this stage of its life, it needs some time in the glass for the fruit to unfurl, but when it does the wine fills out nicely with silky cherry, subtle spice, and a stony mineral lift to buoy it all. It’s all about acid on the finish, as expected, though a vein of graphite tannins linger beneath. This has a foot in both ponds – fresh, bright, and puckish, but with enough complexity to draw you in.