Winetastic

Nestled on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range of New South Wales, Mudgee has had a one hundred and fifty year viticultural history and over eighty years of association with Italian wine. di Lusso is at the forefront of showcasing some excellent Italian varietals from a region well suited to growing these exciting grapes. Last night we decided to crack a bottle of the 2005 Barbera to accompany some home-made meatballs in a tomato, paprika and rosemary sauce. If anyone knows about making high quality wines to pair with food then it would have to be the Italians!

Enticing raspberry and blackberry aromas leap out of the glass with a hint of spice and earthiness lurking underneath. This wine is rich, round and velvety on the palate and very fruit driven. Medium bodied, there is a little spice and tannin on a slightly drying finish. Incredibly easy to drink this Barbera is fleshy, almost juicy, up front but makes the transition into a slightly more savory well balanced wine after some time in the decanter. This versatile wine carries its alcohol well, mainly due to the fullness of flavour. The flavours of the wine are accentuated with food, though I would be quite happy to drink this on its own.

Score: 91/100
Price: $23
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: di Lusso
Would I buy this wine again? Yes i would, I really like a lot of the Italian varietals and I think this is a good value example of a great food wine.