SOLD OUT! The Borgo Moncalvo Barbera d’Asti is one of the finest values of its type I’ve ever tasted. From a tiny, family-owned and operated, certified organic estate located high in the hills above Asti, this will appeal to a wide variety of palates.
Barbera is the grape you need to be drinking more of. When it’s done right, it yields a medium to full bodied red with luscious fruit and bright acidity. Translated, it’s full yet fresh. And the version from Borgo Moncalvo embodies these characteristics fully. I bought my distributor out of this one. Once it’s gone, we move to the new vintage and a price increase.
2017 Borgo Moncalvo Barbera d’Asti
“Rich and plump, yet fresh and zesty. A red wine for all palates!” – Josh Spurling – 93 points
SOLD OUT
Brothers Andrea and Luca Elegir farm some of the oldest vines in the region with their wives, their parents, and one hired worker. They care deeply for their land, and that is evidenced by their organic certification and the fact they power their entire estate with solar panels. In a good year, the Elegirs will make 20,000 bottles (about 1,700 cases) of wine, and they make 6 different wines. This is a family committed to producing a high-quality regional product in a setting that allows space for the natural world to coexist.
Their Barbera vineyard is a site to behold — click here for some great shots of the family and their land. We’re talking super steep and high elevation vineyards here folks. And when you add the fact that their Barbera vines are 65+ years old, you have the makings of a great bottle of wine. Andrea and Luca severely thin these vines to lessen yields and further intensify the wine. All grapes are hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts. After fermentation, it is aged for 12 months in neutral oak barrels to allow it to “come together.”
And man, the 2017 version of this wine has certainly “come together.” Right when I poured it, I knew I was going to buy big on this one. The color is deep — not fully opaque, but pretty darned close. And the nose is one I usually associate with a Barbera from Alba, not Asti. It’s much darker fruited and intense with perfumed notes of violet, plum, and dark cherry. The palate is equally attractive with a nice mix of red and dark berry flavors, a hint of spice, and a subtle floral quality. Medium to full bodied, fine-grained, and fresh, this is going to make a lot of folks happy. Just 125 cases were produced for the vintage and I claimed 28 for Table Wine.
This would be awesome with everything from a bison burger with blue cheese and carmelized onions to a mushroom risotto. The natural acidity of Barbera makes it a wonderful “food wine.” But trust me, I’ll be drinking plenty of this one without food too. It goes down a little too easy.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville