Score: 92/100
Malgrà winery (azienda vinicola) is located in Mombaruzzo in the heart of the Monferrato near Asti in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy.
Together with Tenuta Carretta, located in Piobesi d’Alba in the heart of the Roero, and Edoardo Miroglio Wine Cellar of Elenovo, located in Tracia, Bulgaria, Malgrà is part of the Terre Miroglio Family Estates, a group that unites all winemaking properties of the Miroglio family.
The “Gaiana” vineyard is located in Mombaruzzo on the right bank of the Belbo river at 150 m above sea level. The vineyards cover about 5 hectares of land (12 acres), and they benefit from perfect sun exposure. The soil is limestone and clay. “Gaiana” is a Barbera wine cuvee the Malgrà winery considers as one of its most representative wines.
This wine is made from 100% Barbera grapes, aged for 12 months in oak barrels.
Tasting Notes
This Northern Italian Barbera comes in a pretty dark red color, looking dense and intense for the grape, very dark red to the core, and still quite dark to the rim with subtle oranges hues.
The nose feels predominantly spicy and savory, also positively oaky.
White pepper and chili lift the nose straight away as your smell the wine. A savory feel is provided by an umami-like smell, like shiitake mushrooms or soy sauce. Surprising, but fine and elegant, therefore tempting for those who like this kind of flavors and smells, like me!
There are fruity aromas as well, in the form of ripe dark cherry and blackberry jam, well rounded and deepened by oak tones of vanilla, clove and caramel.
A nose that feels complete and rich, complex and intriguing. You just want to continue digging into what this wine has to offer!
Well, the palate brings a dry and opulent smooth texture. It’s soft and oily, rich and rounded to taste, the wine coating your mouth enjoyably.
Velvety tannins make the tasting experience pleasing in a world of relative smoothness although the wine is clearly dry.
Plenty of opulent beef stock flavors marry spicy black pepper, yet well balanced by enough ripe red berry notes for a greatly concentrated sweet/savory impression
Long finish on sweet spices, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, with smoky oaky notes, sweetening vanilla and caramel.
Overall
A very opulent and generous Barbera wine, much riper and richer than your average Barbera d’Asti indeed.
Utterly smooth, it clearly feels it was made from ripe grapes, but not only, concentrated ones at that too. Dry yet super-smooth a texture, it delivers layers of flavors and a long-lasting taste with plenty of depth, somewhat of an elegance, and certainly a refined character.
Enjoy 🙂
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