Nov 15th - Braida's "Il Baciale"

From the Family of Giacomo Bologna, and the winemaking team at Braida,  tonight's wine is the "Il Baciale" Monferrato Rosso.  This is a wine that steps outside the normal boundaries of winemaking, and has continued to evolve over the past decade of vintages. 

"Il Baciale" in Piedmont dialect, translates to The Matchmaker.  Back in the 1700's and 1800's, matchmaking was a legitimate profession.  In the world of arranged marriages and first-born-inheritance, finding a proper partner was much more important than just hanging out at the local bars and coffee shops.

Il Baciale was given the name because "la barbera" (female connotation) was married to "il pinot nero" (male connotation).  Giacomo believed that rather than making the same un-exciting wines he and his forefathers had been making, he could produce something better by ignoring some of the rules.

From it's inception about 2002, the wine was a blend of just barbera and pinot nero.  Today, a little bit of cabernet is blended in for some bigger body, and some merlot is added for structure and complexity.  The result is a very unique and delicious red wine.  Much lighter than many Italian reds, this is a wine that I love to recommend to the pinot lovers as well as French and Spanish wine lovers.

The tannins are very fine and gentle on the tongue, while the acidity dances on the sides of the palate.  There is definitely a fruit component, but not that big juice, jammy style of wine that some pinots evolve into.  I had my first glass tonight with a greasy cheeseburger, and now I'm having a class without any food.  Both situations fit the Il Baciale perfectly.  That being said, I'm a fan of most Italian wine, and I find the bright acidity not only pleasing, but all out alluring.

The Il Baciale that I'm drinking tonight is a 2008, but I could see this aging a few more years as well.  At 14% alcohol by volume, I think I could see this drinking very nicely for another two to three years.  However, priced in the $20+ bracket, I doubt many people are going to put this aside for cellaring.  At this type of price, I say buy it, drink it, enjoy it!

Braida di Giacomo Bologna
"Il Baciale" Monferrato Rosso
TCHS Rating - 9/10
Aka - One of my favorite esoteric Italians!

Eli
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