Nine Gables Barbera

Last night we enjoyed a bottle of the Nine Gables 2006 Barbera (Ottimista Vineyard) that I picked up on a recent trip thru Amador County, CA. This region of the Sierra Foothills is warmer than the napa region and is know for producing some nice zinfandels. The Barbera grape is the second most planted variety in Italy, next to the Sangiovese. The Nine Gables Barbera had a nice dark red color and a nose of red and black berries. Upon tasting, the berries were predominant with a hint of cherries and even some blueberries. I decanted this wine for 2 hours and it went from a fair wine to a very nice wine. This is a nice medium bodied wine with little tannins. We paired this with pasta and it was the perfect combination. Would also be great with pizza. I will definitely try to get more of the 2006 Barbera.