Our $10-ish Bottle Experiment: The Excellent Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Alba

The $10-ish experiment continues. This one varies in price so some of you may find it for $9 and some for $13 but at any price below $15 or even $20, I think this wine is a steal. It's my standby for Barbera.

Barbera is native to Italy's Piedmont region in the Northwest. It's been around since at least the middle ages and has served as the basis for everyday drinking wine in the region for thousands of years. 

The best places for the grape are around the provinces of Alba and Asti, especially around the hills in Monferrato. Barbera often gets booted out of the best sites in favor of Nebbiolo, from which high priced Barolo and Barbaresco can be made (especially in Alba).The styles vary based on place but the grape is pretty consistent in flavor. It has this great contrast between ripe cherry fruit, sharp acid, and a little bitterness that is so typical of Italian wines. This power trio makes Barbera amazing with pizza and all manner of Italian food. 

I do have one criticism to share: Despite my love for the grape and its ability to pair with one of my favorite cuisines (Italian), I've watched the prices of it skyrocket through the years. You can barely find one for less than $20 normally and even if you pay up, it can be just bleh. With the exception of one standby: Michele Chiarlo "Le Orme" Barbera d'Asti. A family run winery, managed by the larger conglomerate Kobrand, they churn out the goods consistently. This is a phenomenal wine at a phenomenal value. I can confidently say it's one of the best bargains in Italian wine. 

The Wine: 2009 Michele Chiarlo "Le Orme" Barbera d'Asti Superiore


Where it's From: The province of Asti in the Piedmont of Italy

Alcohol: 13.5% (moderate)

Price (Slight Cheat on the <$10 but I had to do it): $10.49

Color: This is a great wine to look at! It was light and transparent, with a beautiful raspberry color. It's elegant looking which mirrors the taste profile. 

Smell: Typical Barbera but so much more fragrant than many of the more expensive versions. The wine smells like ripe cherries with a touch of sour cherry. Against the oh-so-pleasant fruit smells, there is this very dark earthy, dirt smell. This is a wine of the land -- it smells like minerals and wet potting soil, which I love, especially when it's contrasted against such juicy fruit smells. 

Taste: I don't know how Michele Chiarlo is making this wine for so little money -- this wine has so much flavor. It tasted more like dark cherries and a touch like raisins, but then had a rich black licorice, cinnamon, and cola flavor. The wine's texture is perfect for food -- very dry, with strong acid, and a touch of tannin.

Pairing: We had this with pizza and it was perfect. Nothing overpowers anything in the pairing and the wine calms tomato's acid. This wine should go with anything in a tomato sauce but it can go with mushrooms and earthy dishes too. It's medium weight so it was a good pairing with the sweet, bready garlic knots we pigged out on before the pizza. The acid cuts through the butter but the cherry flavor highlights sweetness of garlic.

Drink or sink?: Drink. All day long. I don't want to ruin future posts, but I have to say this is one of the best wines for this price point, period. 

Have you had this wine? Do you like it? Drop a comment below and let me know!