Barbera D’Asti DOCG ‘Caporala’ Cascina Radice

The Barbera D’Asti DOCG ‘Caporala’ Cascina Radice is an absolute belter. As a grape variety, Barbera, always takes second fiddle to Piemonte’s most famous grape, Nebbiolo. And, to be fair with some of the Barolos on offer out there, I get why. However I find that I often seek out Barbera over Nebbiolo, and always have done. Why? Because it is a criminally ignored wine. The sheer quality on offer, on a pound for pound ratio, is beyond comparison in my book. In a world of ever increasing prices, great Barbera remains a true bargain hunter’s dream. I also stock the Cascina Radice ‘Poiana’ Barolo and it is a wonderful example of an affordable Barolo that is punching above it’s weight. However it is over £10 more a bottle than their Barbera. The quality of the two is similarly high. It just highlights how Barbera is unjustly overlooked. Taste wise it is different to Nebbiolo. Richer in colour and body. One of the most aromatic reds I’ve had in some time. Absolutely jumps out at you. As far as I can tell it is all unoaked and smells and tastes of red & black cherry with a mouth watering tart edge that I adore. Add in zingy raspberry, ripe blackcurrant & plum with just a hint of liquorice spice and a length of flavour to rival War & Peace, and you have an absolute beauty on your hands. If, like me, you’re a fan of Barbera then this is unmissable. If you’re new to the variety then this would be a pretty fantastic place to start your journey. Super food friendly too and matches with a whole host of different dishes. You might have realised that I kind of rate this wine rather highly.