2011 Barbera d'Alba Gallina
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Dense, dark with rich flavors of plum and prune, the 2011 Barbera d'Alba Gallina is a powerful wine with rich concentration. The bouquet bursts open with cherry liqueur, maple syrup, tar, licorice and smoky Teriyaki sauce. Roasted espresso bean adds even more toasty appeal. This is Barbera with big bones.
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Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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Wonderful aromas of dark fruits, truffles and flowers. Full and smoky with earth and dark fruit. Velvety texture. Long finish.
(from 65-year-old vines picked at the end of August; aged entirely in barriques, one-third new; bottled in August of 2013): Deep, bright ruby-red. Blackberry, black cherry and chocolate on the nose; more oaky than the Ca' di Pian bottlings. Very sweet, chocolatey and ripe but with lovely acidity energizing the middle palate. The oak element is more harmonious on the palate and back end than on the nose. Finishes lush, fine-grained and horizontal, with lovely building length. The percentage of new oak has been cut dramatically for this wine in recent years, according to Giorgio Rivetti: the 2009 version was aged in 50% new oak and prior to that year it was done entirely in new barriques. The crop level here was a very low 30 hectoliters per hectare, according to Rivetti.
The 2011 Barbera d'Alba Gallina wraps around the palate with huge layers of dark blackberry, blueberry, white flowers, licorice and melted road tar. The 2011 has an early approachability in place of the 2010's more mineral-driven personality. The soft, silky tannins make the 2011 accessible, but readers who want to experience the full personality the Gallina can provide will have to wait a few years.