Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Barbera 2023
- 93
- $38
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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.
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
