2024 Charbono

Whenever I pour for visitors in the tasting room it doesn’t seem long before someone asks me which wine I like best.  I usually dodge the question, but if put to the test and forced to name a handful of favorites, Charbono is among them.  It is a seldom seen varietal and most folks are unfamiliar with the grape so I often give it a thumbnail description; “Charbono is Barbera on steroids”.  This usually provokes a chuckle or two, but there is some truth to it.  Charbono is like Barbera with an added dimension of depth and intensity, yet Charbono retains the versatility of Barbera.  Charbono has a deep brooding color that belies the rich yet supple tannins.  Charbono also has a beacon of fruit that remains the centerpiece despite the presence of an earthy, meaty almost Syrah like sub-character.

Charbono has a history that reads like an adventure novel.  Charbono comes from the mountainous Savoie region of Eastern France where it is known as Douce Noir.  Upon venturing from its home, Charbono has flourished in the New World especially in Argentina where it is known as Bonarda and is second only to Malbec in planted acres.  For decades after Charbono’s arrival in California, this grape successfully masqueraded as Barbera and Pinot Noir winning numerous awards under either alias. It wasn’t until 1999 and the implementation of DNA testing that some of these mislabeled vineyards were correctly identified as Douce Noir AKA; Charbono.  Meanwhile back in Savoie, like a blacklisted actor, Charbono’s roles have become limited, and production has withered to but just few hectares.   Here in the Sierra Foothills, I am very optimistic that our alpine influenced climate and decomposed granitic soils will provide Charbono with another chapter in its adventures here in the New World.