Cordero Hica Barbera d'Alba 2023

This Barbera was one of the first wines I decided to bring in for WineSpark. It’s a deep, rich red with serious personality. ‘A bit impolite like me’ says winemaker Serena. I’d never tasted it before - its tiny production would have been way too small to come across my radar before. And that’s the best thing about it. It’s from an area called Bricco Gatti, well-known to experts as one of Alba’s best vineyards. The vineyard is a prime south-west facing site - the extended afternoon sun gives the Barbera grapes serious power. It’s lovingly tended to, vine by vine, by Serena’s brother Gabriele. He’s at peak happiness surrounded by the bees, bugs and butterflies that thrive in the vineyard. This attention to detail doesn’t happen anywhere else in the region. And the meticulous work speaks for itself in the wine. It’s unmistakably Italian on the nose, with aromas of dark fruit, dried herbs and tea leaves. Then it’s rich, creamy and powerful on the palate - if you love your Italian reds, this is absolutely guaranteed to be right up your street.