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! — 20 days ago

Jan de Weerd

9.3

Nice earthy complexity elevating the subtle red fruit. Fine grained tannins on the background balancing out the wine and giving it a lingering, satisfying finish. — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Stefan Dolhain

9.7

2019 vintage. An extraordinary wine, a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. Beautiful nose with roses, strawberries, amarena cherries, and subtle vanilla. A class act with wonderful elegance, depth, precision, and an amazingly long,mineral finish. Abv. 14,5%. — 2 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Needs a 30 minute decant.

Nose: white and yellow flowers. Ocean breeze.

Palate: classic dauvissat elegant density. Mashed yellow flowers. Delicious. Almost a willi Schaefer balancing tartness.

Fass selections — 6 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium lemon yellow . Quite young appearance still quite a bit of oak on the nose , then lemon rind , touch of honey , wax , slightly herbal touch. Intense on the palate with lemon rind , wax and honied notes . Quite rich palate , but with good balancing acidity and grip, balanced alcohol . Medium length , slightly toasty finish . Still young , drinkable now and over the 10 years. — a year ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Delicious aperitif Riesling. Beautifully pure appley fruit just hinting at peach. Clean subtle stony minerality. Nice acids balancing out the slight fruity sweetness on the palate. — 2 years ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Loads of extract and zip. Quite ripe but with brilliant balancing acidity. Intense and long. Delicious — 8 months ago

with Chris, Matt and 2 others

Russ Bus

9.5

Amazing freshness balancing the emerging tertiary characteristics. True Mt Carmel acidity shining through. — 2 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.4

2023/4 holidays. Classic and wonderful - hugely aromatic, hints of flor / salinity but lots of nutty, caramel and dried fruit character give a sense of sweetness though the wine is dry, making it a great partner for aged hard cheeses. Good balancing acidity too. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

This wine has a deep ruby hue with medium(+) intensity of ripe and supple black plum, red plum, fig, black cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, violet, licorice, leather, sweet tobacco, cedar box, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut, and dill notes.

On the palate, this wine is dry with medium(+) acidity balancing smooth medium(+) tannins and the ripeness of aroma and flavor characteristics. It is delicious!!! And complex. It has runway for further aging in bottle. — 2 years ago

with Deked1