Casa Smith Cervo Barbera 2020

Sourced from an old block in the Northridge vineyard, set on limestone and volcanic soils, the 2020 Barbera Cervo shows pretty black florals alongside wild blackberry and shades of baking spices on the nose. The palate is very smooth, offering light tannins that combine with ripe red and dark fruits and salty and savory tones.

The 2020 Barbera Cervo Northridge Vineyard is dusty on the nose with elements of smoked cherry essence that lift from the glass with a rocky mineral note. Medium to full-bodied, the wine grows in amplitude across the mid-palate, displaying a fine mineral tension and firm tannic edge before concluding with notions of plum blossom and grilled blackberries. Produced from 100% whole-cluster Barbara, the wine spent eight months in neutral French oak. Just under 27,000 bottles were made.

These CasaSmith releases come from the team at K Vintners yet focus on Italian varieties. The 2020 Barbera Cervo comes all from the Northridge Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, and it's a forward, up-front, juicy effort offering medium-bodied aromas and flavors of darker berry fruits, leather, spice, and iron. With soft tannins, good balance, and some subtle smoky notes on the finish, this charmer is best drunk over the coming year or two.