Winemaker Notes
Purplish ruby red color. Very evident scents of ripe cherry and red berries. The flavor is deep, full and harmonious, with a persistent finish that lingers on the palate, ending with a hint of almond.
Excellent, balanced, fragrant and very easy to drink, it accompanies pasta dishes, red and white meats, cheeses and cured meats.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here's a wild, full-bodied expression of Barbera. This native grape of Piedmont loves the heat, and it got exactly that in this dry vintage. Barbera from Asti always holds its own in terms of acidity, and that quality is very important in a vintage like this. The Braida 2017 Barbera d'Asti Montebruna comes off as a very balanced wine. It shows loads of character, and that tart, acidic freshness tapers out and prolongs the mouthfeel. A pasta with cream, onion and sausage would be right in line here. This is a terrific value buy.
Rating: 92+
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James Suckling
This big, plush barbera makes an impressive statement at the outset of plum paste, dried olives and vanilla. The full-bodied palate is quite balanced, though, and there’s enough firmness to the tannins to structure the dense dark fruit.
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Wine Spectator
This red is well-defined by bracing acidity that marshals the black currant, black cherry, violet and mineral flavors to a long finish. Complex and harmonious, with a light grain to the texture. The aftertaste evokes spice and tobacco notes.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
Recognized as the source of the best Barbera in all of Italy, Asti is a province (as well as major city) in Piedmont, consisting of a gentle, rolling landscape with vineyards, farmland and forests alternating throughout.
Barbera d’Asti can be made in an array of styles from relatively straightforward, fruity and ready for consumption early, to the more concentrated, oak aged version with an ability to cellar impressively for 10-15 years and beyond. Some of the very best sites for Barbera in Asti are concentrated in the subzone of Nizza Monferrato. Other red varieties grown here include Freisa, Grignolino and Dolcetto, which can be bottled varietally or blended into Barbera.
Historically consumers commonly associated the Asti region with Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, both playful, aromatic, sparkling wines made from the Muscat grape. Asti Spumante is less sweet, fully fizzy and more alcoholic (yet still clocking in at only around 9% alcohol) while Moscato d’Asti is sweeter, gently sparkling (“frizzante”) and closer to 5 or 6% alcohol. Each is produced in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh and fruity flavors of the grape, often including peach, apricot, lychee and rose petal. Asti is also the spot for the pink-hued Brachetto d'Acqui, a slightly sparkling wine ready to charm with its raspberry and rose flavors and aromas.