Socks-on Barbera
Barbera d’Alba 2011, Punset ($21.80, 10985747)
100% organically farmed Barbera. Manually harvested. Destemmed, gently pressed and fermented on the skins. Matured in stainless steel tanks for several months. 14% ABV.
Thin and hollow on opening, this benefits enormously from an hour in the carafe. Cherry, terracotta, slate, fresh stripped tree bark on the nose and in the mouth. Fluid and, despite the 14%, medium-bodied. The ripe if bone-dry fruit is textured by lightly raspy tannins and piquant acidity. Finishes on a tangy, cedary/tobaccoy note. The alcohol isn’t at all apparent until the end. Not a knock-your-socks-off Barbera, but honest, well made and ultimately enjoyable. (Buy again? Sure.)
Brett happens 
You have to be careful with Punset, as their cork quality is not great. No problems for their Barbera d’Alba, but I would hesitate to buy their Barolos and keep them for a number of years, before finding out that it’s hopelessly oxidized or plainly corked.
Julien Marchand
October 5, 2013 at 22:47
Thanks for the heads-up, Julien. Have never had any problems with Punset’s closures but it’s good to know, especially as I’ve no experience of the estate’s Barolos. As I recall (but my mind’s a sieve…), this Barbera was stoppered with a composite cork.
carswell
October 6, 2013 at 15:53