Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Macchia – Delicious Barbera 2023
Lodi, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Barbera may be native to Italy, but in Lodi it thrives in the warm days and cool nights, producing generous, fruit-driven wines. Macchia has built a reputation for crafting some of the most expressive New World Barberas, with a track record of winning international medals (including Gold at the International Barbera Competition in Italy for earlier vintages). This 2023 vintage keeps that pedigree alive with a vibrant, approachable style.

Aromas & Flavors
Explodes with blackberry, ripe plum, and dark cherry layered with chocolate, spice, and hints of licorice. There’s an intensity of fruit without losing freshness, showing why Barbera adapts so beautifully outside its homeland.

Mouthfeel
Juicy, full of energy, with supple tannins and balancing acidity. Medium-plus body with a long, fruit-forward finish dusted with cocoa and spice.

Food Pairing
Pairs effortlessly with rich tomato pasta, grilled lamb chops, or a hearty sausage pizza. Also excellent with strong cheeses that complement its ripe fruit core.

The Verdict
Macchia delivers again with a Barbera that’s as delicious as its name. The 2023 vintage stands out as a casual yet compelling New World take on an Old World classic—backed by a winery whose style already carries international pedigree.

✨ Personal highlight: This wine style has pedigree from past events, but the 2023 is very much its own statement. It’s “delicious” in every sense and shows how consistent Macchia has been across vintages. Cheers! — 3 months ago

Severn G

9.1

Nose has tart strawberry, ripe black cherry, blackberry, dried soil with peat and faint creamy oak notes.

Palate has ripe blackberry, ripe cherry, dried garden soil, thawed strawberries, light cedar influence, decent finish but we're underwhelmed overall. Maybe closing up now, revisit in 3-5Y, 2025-27.

Cork pulled, slow oxidation for 3H.

Solid pairing to toasted Israeli couscous, za'atar and lightly fried eggs from the backyard egg factory. For us, eggs are always a great pair to Bourgogne Rouge, they balance wonderfully.

(Also, for the record, no photo trickery on the food pic, our Australorp eggs are indeed that orange; Good diet equals good eggs.) — 4 years ago

Norman

8.9

Catch up tasting. Clearly Apple wood on the nose and strong on the flavor profile. It’s sweet and if you told me there was apple juice in it, I’d believe it. — 5 years ago

Dave

9.2

Last night we finished a few low bottles, including this Elmer. When I opened this in April, it wasn't awesome, but of course by the last few drams it was firing on all cylinders. Sweet cinnamon and pleasant oaky tannins.
Listened to the Pavement. — 4 months ago

Dave Mayers

9.0

A bit disjointed. Heaps of oak then a bunch of acid on the finish. Missing the heart and soul of the wine. Had the ‘13 criot barard montrachet and I would rate that in the top 5 wines of my life. Maybe it needs more time? Madi LOVED it for the record. With schnitzel and gravy. — 3 years ago

William Lee, Jr.

9.6

Paired w/slow roasted lamb leg with parsnip mash, brown butter brussels, and mushrooms — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

Bright yellow in colour. Aromas of white flowers, toast, flint and kerosene. Traces of lime on the palate with a soapy texture - acid is largely resolved. This is why one ages dry Australian Riesling. Magnificent. The lime juice backbone when it was young is still there. 2002 in the Eden Valley was one of the coolest on record meaning long hang time and it has produced this exquisite long living Riesling. Luckily I have one left. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

From the cellar - a little too cold on this cold night. More spice than the usual white and black pepper. Dried meat. See previous Delectable notes. An incredible Show Record:- Good Wine Guides Best Shiraz and Wine of the Year in 2011 - 98 points from Nick Stock. Giving more on the 2nd night. Incredible length of flavour - goes on and on. This has always been one of my favourite Australian Red Wines and I have tried to buy it on a regular basis but it has become very expensive (over $200) - no doubt because of its impeccable quality. Northern Rhone in style. Only 400 cases made. — a year ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Lamy’s En Remilly is usually a wine I hold in higher regard, but this bottle was knocked back by a touch of… dare I say… premature oxidation. With Diam 30 and a thick white wax cap (plus a great track record), you can be sure this was again a function of bad cold chain in Malaysia. Sigh. Having said that, it was still a decent showing - loved the mineral saturation the wine displayed from start to finish. The nose was rich and still detailed with aromas of popcorn, wheat grain, iodine, pear, unripe pineapple, lanolin, and a tinge of mint as well as the dreaded oxidative musk. The palate was dense, saline, expectedly taut, and had a lovely texture that seemingly enveloped the tongue. The oxidative honey note was rather distracting in the finish, but a chill did help mask it. Actually superb with confited ocean trout, but I can’t help but feel robbed of the full enjoyment of this wine. — 4 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

I don’t have a stellar track record when it comes to drinking rock star Bordeaux. The hype always lurks, even though I served this blind to my homie. Interestingly, it’s a sweet wine with layers of cedar interspersed with ribbons of gorgeous red and some black fruits, especially high toned cassis. Great intensity of course & felt the tannins were well integrated at 12years. Clearly the mono-sweetness would transition to tertiary flavors with age, but with life so precious these days, I wasn’t waiting. — 4 years ago

with Owen