A Wine Lover's Nearly Weekly Review Of $15 Wine - An Israeli Red (Italian Grape)
Barbera is one of the most widely found red Italian grapes. Nut this Barbera wine comes from Israel where the Recanati family settled about one hundred years ago. You might guess from the name that they came from Italy. The winery has only been in business since 2000 but is now the sixth largest in Israel. I don't know where that would put them in the Italian lineup but one guesses much further down the list. On the other hand, they are proud to be exporting wine to Italy. The grapes come from the upper Galilee which has a climate similar to Napa Valley, California. Its days are warm, the nights are cool, and there's not very much rainfall. In addition, the soil is chalky and gravelly. All these factors may mean a fine wine. But we can't be sure until we taste it.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review have been purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed
Barbera KP (Recanati) 2006 13.5% alcohol about $15 In the absence of marketing materials I'll quote the back label. Leonardo Recanati's Italian heritage lies at the root of his passion for quality winemaking. The ancient soils and Mediterranean climate of the upper Galilee are well suited to the cultivation of fine Barbera grapes. This elegant red aged eight months in French barriques expresses varietal aromas and flavors of plum, black cherries, wild berries and spice. Its firm acidity and soft, subtle tannins make it an outstanding accompaniment to a variety of dishes including appetizers, grilled meats and Italian cuisine. And now for my review.
At the first sips this wine had slightly sour acidity. It was rather thin but fruity. Its first pairing was with slow cooked beef ribs with potatoes in a savory sauce. Its sourness was reduced but not gone. I tasted red cherries and some tobacco. It was light with round tannins. I also enjoyed a salad composed of carrots, palm hearts, chickpeas, Lebanese cucumbers, red peppers, and canned corn. With this fine salad the Barbera came off as rather raw. There was chocolate in the background.
The next meal was a boxed eggplant parmiagana which I slathered with grated parmesan cheese. The wine was long with chocolate and refreshing acidity and black cherries. The tannins were present and pleasant.
My final meal was beef stew cooked with chickpeas. The wine was quite long with chocolate and dark cherries. It was mouth filling and a little bit went a long way.
Prior to the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some schmaltz herring in oil instead of the more common vinegar preparation. The wine was rich and full bodied. It was lightly acidic and presented black cherries. When paired with a local Provolone, this wine had dark cherries and no tannins. It was light but pleasurable. With a tastier Swiss, the wine wasn't very present.
Final verdict. This wine is borderline. I can't help but think that an Italian Barbera would be better. The truth is, some would be better, and others not. I am definitely tempted to try more of their wines.