It’s the latest meeting of the SDMB Wine Club. Last week’s thread is here.
This week’s sommelier is Dangerosa. I expect a choice that will be . . . dangerous. And possibly rosa.
As always, anyone can participate, new drinkers welcome, etc. etc. void where prohibited.
OK, so I was going to continue the foray into whites and pick a Vouvray, but you’ve challenged me. Vouvrays being neither red nor dangerous (if you’ve never had them, they tend to be on the sweet side, white, light - good cheese and fruit wines for a party - we have Vouvray a lot at bookclub).
Red and Dangerous - well, getting rid of the Mogan David - which would definately be a dangerous choice…
Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti 2003 $12.99 here locally.
Let it breathe a little before drinking it.
Barberas tend to be a “spicy” wine.
We actually have a bottle of this in the 1997 vintage in the “cellar” so I think we’ll drink that. It should be interesting to compare ours, as it has aged a bit, with the comments people here give the 2003.
I found a bottle of the 2004 at my local wine shop. I will open tonight it and post later
I found this wine to be a keeper. I really tried to gather the scent and came up with an “earthy” smell. It was sort of like walking through leaves in the fall and kicking them into the breeze.
The flavor was more subtle and understated than some of the reds I have drank. My impressions were a little skewed by finishing off the bottle during an evening spent quietly reading. Good wine and quite a nice little buzz…
Just joined in.
Haven’t located this one at our normal sources in Houston. Will do some extended searching tomorrow.
We’re going into Liquorama tomorrow, so this is on the list. If I can’t find it, I have a number of Barberas in the rack I can sub. Yummy. One of the wife’s favorite styles.
Got the 2004 this afternoon. Yes, it definitely needs room to breathe for awhile. Right out of the bottle it is tight and very simple, one or two notes at most. As it opens it gets more complex. Classic Barbera flavor profile, though not as full as some. Dark fruits, middling acidity and not too much tannin. This wine would go with just about anything,and does well as just an afternoon sipper.
I found it for only $9.99.
I didn’t get spicy at all - but definitely earthy - both in the scent and in the taste. Very, very, very earthy, and not in the most pleasant fashion.
To slightly hijack: those of you who have made the switch over from whites to reds, (or at least successfully added more and more reds to the wines you enjoy), how did you do it?
Switch? Who in their right minds would drink whites to begin with?
It’s been a hectic week or so. I finally got around to opening this tonight, 2004 vintage.
Unfortunately, I only purchased one bottle and it’s corked. Not bad, but enough to sort of mute the aromas and the flavors. I’m still drinking it, and I tossed about 1/3 cup into the sauce I’m making for meatballs to go with it, but it’s definitely slightly off.
Still, I can pick up black cherry and earth in it, and I like the overall texture and feel of the wine. And at 10 bucks a bottle I think it’s a pretty good bargain Barbera. I’ll definitely pick up another bottle to get the full experience of it.
I have a pallette for wine, having participated in many wine tastings in my dual capacity as a fine dining server/sommelier. I can appreciate wine, however, I have no natural preference for the grape, rather I prefer a wheat beer or barley wine. On the other hand, I did have the rare oportunity very recently to try Chateau St. Michelle Chardonnay. Delicious, a nice fruit paradoxical to its dry forethought. I was quite surprised to discover that it was a Washington state wine. The balance was masterful, comparable to many French standards in presentation, the sheen of evergreen and apples set it apart.
I’ve switched from tolerating select whites to liking reds, so I’m qualified to answer. 
My method was to try whatever Dangerosa put in front of me, and talk about what qualities I liked or disliked. Developing a vocabulary to express the way wine tastes to you is really important. At this early stage in my development of a taste for wine, I prefer smooth, fruity wines over sharp, dry wines. That’s not to say that I don’t like spicy qualities in wine, but if there’s a strongly astringent or bitter quality to the flavor, then that overwhelms other qualities and makes it hard for me to enjoy the wine.
Head down to your local wine store when they’re not busy and talk to one of the salespeople. Talk about what you like and don’t like, and see what they have open to taste. Be honest about whether or not you like it, and take home a bottle of the stuff you like.
Give reds time to breathe – oxidation can make really big changes in flavor, as with this week’s Barbera. I’ve had wines go from bordering-on-yuck to really-quite-good overnight (stoppered, but opening the bottle and pouring a couple of glasses lets in enough oxygen to make a difference). Do not serve reds cold, as it limits their flavor profile.
Open a bottle with someone you love, finish it off over dinner and spend some quality time together. 
Braniac, thanks!
The problem with this is I tend to walk away with even more rieslings, with the occasional port.
I did try another glass of the Barbera d’Asti last night - and it was much better. I hadn’t realized that breathing took that long. I’d wrongly assumed it was something done in an hour or so.
Still - the vocabulary list is an idea I’ll go with. I’ve been pretty much using whatever words come to me at the time, instead of comparing a certain wine with another.
Wow you guys don’t waste any time. I’m sick of not being able to find the wines that are picked, so I went to an actual wine store. They didn’t have it, but said they would order it in for tommorrow.
1997 was completely dead (RIP) so I still need to pick up a newer vintage of this to taste. I can definitely say, from my experience, that it is not a wine too keep around for a while. Drink now!
silenus, dem’s fightin’ words. :mad:
I believe it was the Baron Phillipe Rothschild who once opined that he would start drinking white wines only when they stopped making red. 
Chemist here - Do you really think you are oxidizing that quickly? Overnight I’d expect a little bit but from just letting the wine breath a little, I would guess that you are simply letting some of the more volitile flavors escape.
Can I join this little club? Is there a secret handshake? Do I just need to go out and get some Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti 2003 and give it a try? Do I have to drink it all at once?
Yes, you can join but you will need a big plastic funnel and some tubing. We drink our wne fast.