2005 Sonoma Valley
Barbera
Appellation Selection
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The Vineyards
Barbera has long been a tradition in Sebastiani winemaking. August Sebastiani produced the first Barbera from Sonoma County in 1962; it was one of his favorite wines. Thanks to his pioneering efforts, we’ve amassed over 40 years of winemaking experience with Barbera in California and discovered that the best site for growing this grape is in the warmer, mid-Sonoma Valley region with its terra rosa soils. Therefore, we sourced our Barbera grapes from the Madrone Ranch in the Sonoma Valley, a site with this ideal terroir. We have also come to realize that Barbera blends well with Petite Sirah, so we have incorporated a small amount in the final assemblage.
The Vintage
The 2005 vintage was one of the coldest and longest vintages since 1999. The extended maturation and cooler temperatures gave us higher acidity levels and more cranberry notes in the Barbera fruit. We had to be incredibly patient in 2005, as the grapes didn’t fully ripen until mid-October, which is always nerve-racking due to the danger of early rains while fruit is still on the vines. Luckily, we had little rain and mild warm spell in October. We harvested the grapes October 14th at an average brix of 27.2 degrees. |
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 Winemaking
After initial fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine was racked into mostly new Hungarian oak, 1- and 2-year-old American oak barrels and 2-year-old French oak barrels. In early Spring, we racked it out of barrels and blended in some Petite Sirah and continued to age the wine for a total of 10 months in barrels, prior to bottling.
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Winemaker's Notes
Intense purple is the best way to describe the vibrant color of this wine. The aroma is filled with anise and raspberries and has hints of vanilla and smoke from the oak regime. The flavor echoes the nose with raspberry and cranberry notes – hallmark flavors of a cool vintage Barbera. The wine has a delightfully acidic finish with lingering licorice flavors. Try it with Osso Bucco, tuna and veal. |
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Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
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| Technical
Data |
| Appellation: |
Sonoma Valley |
Composition: |
90% Barbera, 10% Petite Sirah
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| Cooperage: |
Aged 10 months in new and used Hungarian, American and French oak |
Alcohol: |
14.3% |
| TA: |
0.67 g/100ml |
pH: |
3.546 |
| Bottling Date: |
November 2006 |
Release Date: |
April 2007 |
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Awards and Acclaim:
2004 Vintage
94 Points and Wine of the Month from The Midwest Wine Connection : "The 2001 version of this wine was our "Wine of the Month" exactly two years ago. What a tribute to consistency that it again earns that honor! The rich cherry aromas raise expectations immediately, and the succulent, intense, full-bodied flavors meet those expectations. A memorable tannic finish caps a great wine experience."
Four Stars and Excellent from Restaurant Wine : "Fleshy, full bodied and richly flavored, this is a powerful Barbera, that is crisp and long on the palate, tasting of blackberry, blueberry, plum, toast, cedar and tobacco."
87 Points and Cellar Selection from Wine Enthusiast : "Sebastiani knows Barbera. At its best, which this one is, the variety produces a very dry, very tannic and high-acid wine, rich in earthy, coffee, cherry-berry flavors. This bottle which is robust now, will easily achieve 20 years of age, softening and sweetening all the way."
2003 Vintage
Five Stars and Exceptional from Restuarnt Wine : "Luscious and very fruity in style; an intensely flavored, supple Barbera, tasting of blueberry, boysenberry jam, toast, cedar, and vanilla."
88 Points from Wine Enthusiast : "How dark this wine is, and how young. Primary fruit is blackberries, with strong charry oak aromas. In the mouth it's clean and vibrant, but immature, hung with blackberry and cherry baby fat. Try aging this lovely wine until 2010 and beyond."
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