2014 Idlewild Barbera Fox Hill Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (2/24/2017)
1st bottle 14 months ago: wow!
This bottle: wow!
Sam Bilbro has a bit of a Midas touch with this grape. There is a clear California-sunshine fruit element, but also the tension of Barbera at its best. After a bit of sappiness on the front end, the wine gains focus, and shows it's claws from the mid-palate through the finish. This has depth of fruit, and also tannin to support the body. I would love to see what this does with 5-7 years of age, but I sorely doubt that I will allow any bottles to last that long. Just fabulous stuff.