A Couple Barbera, 2018 Idlewild and 2019 Dirty & Rowdy

Let me start by saying I love Barbera. For me no other grape has the kind of style and flavor range that Barbera has (thanks to the natural acidity). Sure other wines have a wide range of style-profiles but often they hinge on the oak treatment. Chardonnay is crisp clean but goes into buttery, vanilla oaky readily. Cab is fruity with secondary notes but often becomes toast, charcoal, oaky etc. Just a couple simple examples and I am not making a general statement about all wine varieties. I also know that Barbera can be hideously oaked.

With these two Barbera we have a WIDE range of style, different as night and day but both equally delicious. There are a thousand reasons why they are different but one fact is clear. Neither has any oak interference and that makes all the difference. These two wines are a pleasure to drink. Enough already, let’s taste.

2018 Idlewild Barbera Fox Hill Vineyard Mendocino County: Aroma of violets and earthy red fruit. Flavors of black cherry, plums, dried meats and warm herbs. Flavors are bound together by very nice acidity which makes for a long finish. Medium to full body we had this Saturday and it went well with red sauce AND roast leg of lamb. 14.4% ABV, not showing any alcohol or harshness it’s the one variety that Sam “pushes” to the profile he prefers in Barbera. The 2018 like previous vintages is excellent.

2019 Dirty & Rowdy Old Vine Barbera Mendocino County: Like all D&R wines the nose on this wine is awesome. Floral with violets leading the way along with strawberry and herbs. Flavors of wild cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, crushed herbs and a touch of mint. Light in body but not in flavor the wine has a load of acidity but matches up perfectly with the style of the wine. The 2019 D&R Barbera screams “made by D&R”.
We had this yesterday with a pizza, the pizza was delayed a few extra minutes and when it arrived the bottle was already half gone . A food pairing dream and super easy to drink. 13.2 ABV, I believe the 2019 is the first D&R Barbera, can’t wait for future vintages.

2018 Idlewild Barbera Fox Hill Vineyard
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2019 Dirty & Rowdy Old Vine Barbera Mendocino County
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