La Ca Növa - Barbarbesco DOCG 2020

La Ca Növa - Barbaresco DOCG 2020

Empty Points 1,000,000                                

So, it happened - I left the working world of alcohol. Now well and truly on the other side of  the trepidation that that brought me, I've started to reflect on things and realised something. I like wine. 

It's a sort of silly thing to say right? I've spent about 15 odd years prattling on about wine, beer, and whisky (in that order). And it's taken - getting away from it to remind me why I first got into it. It's probably a common arch for everyone, right? We kill the thing we love.

I'm for the first time in a very long time not beholden to needing to think about why something is good. Now, I can simply think is it good. And, moreover, I can follow whatever notion takes my fancy.

What better bill of reasons to get back to scribbling about wine? 

Exactly. That's what I thought. The glass of La Ca Növa's Barbaresco I am nursing had nothing to do with the impulsive decision. Swear. 

The Wine                                

It's lovely! The wine has a great clean feel, while being classic and true to style. There's a dark floral - violet - element that opens the nose, that makes way for a brilliant range of complimenting aromas that sit seamlessly beneath it and help to elevate it. Think incense/vanilla, mushroom, tobacco, and black cherry. That black cherry envelops the more earthy and oak lead components on the nose and loops back to crash into the floral opener. It's a wine that's almost equally just for smelling. 

Almost. As the wine tastes every bit as good as it smells. All dry, and fine tannins, that do all the good things on a bottle like this. It's structure, it's kept together, and it all feels harmonious. The acidity is sat pretty at medium plus in the classic speak - so it's not a flat syrupy mess, it's everything you want in Nebbiolo - generous but taut. Between the tannin and acidity it's lively, and vivid - which is great, as there is no shortage of the nose reflected on the palate - the cherry opens a little more to almost raspberry, there's that element of wild bushes to it. That classic Nebbiolo character of "tar" suddenly makes sense on the finish and the density of the wine hits home. It's an utterly lovely contrast at the penultimate moment - this fresh charming fruit that has a forcefully restrained element to it - crushed out in a drowning wave of thick dry treacle. It would be completely overwhelming except the acidity portions it up like a the very silly plates of a meal served up on linen table clothes that you really hope you're not picking up the bill for. That overly detailed and long sentence is a metaphor for the finish - which goes on, almost a long. Almost. 

Where'd I get it?                                

I picked it delight up in Smith And Gertrude, Portobello for £25 - which feels like ridiculously good value.

See the Bottle

Thanks folks! Robert