Someone asks about the Barbera.
OK, OK — it doesn’t happen that much. People are more likely to stumble upon a good Barbera than sit down for dinner with a craving for the varietal. But should someone mention Barbera, it’s natural if biting, acidic wines come to mind.
But the 2012 Barbera from Jelly Jar, a Napa winery using grapes from Lake County’s Kelsey Bench, will shatter any preconceptions. In addition to the dark cherry and berry aromas you expect, the wine offers up a buffet … no, not buffet. There must be a word to describe the swirl of dessert tray and tropical garden flowing from the glass.
Behind the berry basics, you pick up hints of rose petals, fruit hanging on a tree under a parching sun, dried flowers, dark and almost dried out chocolate and something vaguely reminiscent of bananas.
That’s my impression. Andy Pestoni, the winemaker, claims to catch a whiff of sarsaparilla, too. The aroma is simply mesmerizing.
“I held it for a long time before I released it,” Pestoni said. “I wasn’t sure how the bouquet was developing.”
In fact, he was patient throughout the process. He had the grapes harvested at extreme ripeness, allowing them to hang on the vine.
“I was trying to wait until the acids dropped,” he explained.
So on the palate the ripe plum and jammy dark berry notes are supported — tugged, maybe, this way and that — by an earthier supporting cast. Ponder each sip and you find weathered leaves, bitter dark chocolate and a dusting of spice, closely resembling nutmeg.
It’s an impressive Barbera, and only the second vintage of the varietal attempted by Pestoni.
Of course, he watched his parents pouring Barbera at the dinner table. Somewhere along the line he recognized its potential as a wine to pair with everyday dishes.
“It’s a fun wine to make,” he said.
Pestoni’s style at Jelly Jar is minimalist. He managed the oak to an extent, letting the 2012 sit in 30 percent new French oak barrels for just shy of a year. But the overwhelming majority of the staves had worn to neutral, unable to carve any impression into the wine.
Perhaps the key was his willingness to sit back and let the harvest season wane.
“Barbera turns out differently here,” he said. “The acidity is more managed. They’re not so harsh.”
Still, he admits Barbera remains a fringe wine. Most people are unfamiliar with the varietal or reluctant to give it a shot. But should they stumble upon the 2012 Jelly Jar Barbera, it might end up filling their shelves.
So go ahead — ask about the Barbera.
