Barbaresco Moccagatta 2004

While doing the shopping this morning I wandered through the wine department at the market while they were preparing for the wine tasting later in the day. One of the five wines to be available was a wine I have resting in the cellar, the 2004 Moccagatta Riserva Barbaresco from the Produttori del Barbaresco. Three hours later I ventured back to the market for a taste and was very happy that there are two bottles of this wine in the cellar.

The color was classic Nebbiolo, purple and pale. There were sweet, young plums and definitely some violets in the nose. With some swirling the flowers and earth predominated. The taste was tight and closed at first, but there was good body and young, astringent tannin adding to the package. A few sips later the fruit was there with good acid to balance its ripeness. There was a little bit of spice to the wine as well. The tannins were like the gift that keeps on giving.

This wine needs three to five years to bloom but even at this early age it was crying for a pot of braised short ribs.