Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone

Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone 2003

Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone was another of those Italian wines that I'm really meant to be holding onto but had to break out in order to wash down the muck I've been tasting this week. I'm beginning to think there can only be two possible factors at work,

a) Italian wines are just the best value in the world FACT or
b) My taste buds are so attuned to Italian wines that no others are getting a fair crack of the whip

Over the past 4 days I've had a terrible run. A 2005 Morgon Beaujolais, an 2004 Pouilly Fumé, a 2006 New Zealand Pinot Noir and the Salisbury's SO Organic (Cecchi) Chianti all, in varying quantities, made it down my kitchen sink. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not that hard to please but all these wines didn't just pale in comparison to the Braida, they out and out stunk.

And then there was Braida. I'd forgotten how much I love Braida, the producer, the bottles, the taste of top quality Barbera. Along with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Barbera is providing the best quality QPR in all of Italy and the advantage of Braida's top end Barbera (this one), is the ageing potential. Sadly, every bottle of Bricco dell'Uccellone I've ever had (there's a 2001 note on here too somewhere) never reaches it's Christmas destiny. It's just too damned GOWJUS.

I'll tell you what's not GOWJUS, Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2006. £15 and smells like cabbage.

Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2006 - PASS - £15
Brooding dark purple in the glass to the rim. Total vegetable nose, cabbage water, mud, some minerality, no fruit. On the palate the wine picks up, well balanced, good integrated tannins, a little spice and smoke but still there with the veggies. Good finish, a well made wine, just not to my tastes. If you like your vegetable style wines, you may like it, never a Pinot, would have called it Cabernet Franc all the way down the line. 85 Points

Sainsburys SO Organic (Cecchi) Chianti 2006 - PASS - £8
Pretty ruby red with good intensity. Pretty nose, dark cherry and vanilla, little raspberry too but aromatically closed. Hugely tannic on the palate, thick mouth feel, flavour profile is overwhelming currants, tastes under ripe. 83 Points

Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone 2003 - BUY - £21
Deep purple in the glass. Aromatically opens up after an hour to develop a characterful strawberry nose accompanied by some coffee beans. A standout palate with luscious mouth-feel, good balance of acidity and tannins and a continuation of fruit to the finish which lasts a good 30 seconds. Nice job. 90 Points

Where can I buy this Wine?
Europeans - Enoteca Ronchi - €30
Americans - Wine Exhange - $45
Brits - Telegraph Wines - £21

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I'm trying to think of a great name for a dog. I have been told that "Beaujolais" (even though Beau for short is cute I reckon) is ridiculous. Name ideas for my dog please.