2015 Forgeron Barbera

Happy Tuesday!  It's been a busy week so far and it doesn't look like it will let up any before the holiday weekend, so I may as well enjoy a bottle of good wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2015 Forgeron Barbera, a 100% Barbera from the Sagemoor Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I picked this wine for an easy pairing with dinner, so let's see how I did!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, somewhat more reminiscent of a Cabernet than a Barbera.  The nose exudes quality, with rich leather, clove and ripe black fruit, with just a bit of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of cool, ripe blackberry and cherry up front that transitions nicely to some subtle white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins on this wine are almost not to be found, leading to a lush finish that's dry, yet not as abrupt as you might find in a Cabernet.

I decided to take a photo as I was cooking tonight, just to show that I do actually cook!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant, easy drinking and food friendly wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, as it's just easy to please.  I would enjoy this wine with anything from steak to pizza to barbecue, but tonight I've decided to go Italian, with some chicken Italian sausage with onions and peppers and some pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The fruit and low acidity in this wine are perfect with some spicy sausage.  Cheers!