2001 Clerico Trevigne Barbera d'Alba

I kinda have a system right now - Steak (Bordeaux, Tempranillo), Lamb (Shiraz), Pasta/Italian food (red sauce-Tuscany and other Italy, white sauce-Italian chardonnay), pork (Bordeaux, pinot noir, Alsace white), chicken (pinot noir, Beaujolais 1er cru, chardonnay), salmon (chardonnay, rose, pinot noir), whitefish/shellfish (pinot gris, sauvignon blanc), sushi (sake, beer, Alsace white), Indian food (beer), and various other pairing philosophy. This is based on experience, rather than some bookish study. I find this system works pretty well for me, so I don't mess with it too much. But what the heck do I serve with a Barbera? Hmmm

The 2001 Clerico Barbera d'Alba "Trevigne" is a wonderful drinking wine. The nose was subtle, but with lots of interesting aromas - raspberries, blueberries, floral (violet/rose), and some spicy pepper and licorice scents. Lovely fruit, but the high alcohol level was noticeable. On the palate, this wine was very nice - medium-bodied with supple tannins, fresh acidity and very nice balance. This went down really well both with, and after, dinner. Fruity, with a nice tannic bite, and very nice length implying a few more years in the cellar. Tonight I had the wine with a BBQ pork tenderloin. It paired very well with this, but I think the great strenght of this wine is that it would pair very well with a wide variety of dishes - there are not many wines that I would describe that way. Overall, nice quality, ready to drink (will keep for some time, but I don't will get any better), and a great price for the quality.
14.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Cost: C$23.95 (LCBO)