1997 Braida Ai Suma, Barbera d'Asti, Piemonte, Italy

What a nose!! What is this stuff?..had a realy hard time to locate the grape and country, And I have tasted Ai Suma 1997 4 times .. Before I get into details I am pretty sure that the Ai Suma 97 I bought on the release is in great shape. The additional Ai Suma I bought Oct-2003 from the same Danish retailer has been expose to something that has made the wine go into a dull fase. Back to that nose...that is extremly rich on fruit. A layer of splendid blackberries infused in a sweet licorice nose.Great finish with very smooth tannins. The wine is very balanced but need some time to breath before serving. (94+)

Wed 16 Jun, 2004

1997 Braida, Barbera Ai Suma, Piemonte, Italy

This is the fourth time I taste 97’ Ai Suma. As many other 97’s it has lost some of its first intimidating impressions and baby fat. Some of my other encounters with this wine have shown a big juice wine with barriques influence, but damn sexy. But although the status of things, Ai Suma has survived the crush, and headed into a new phase - that shows the potential of the wine. The nose is divine, with simple flavours as blackberries, blackcurrant and coconut. But make no mistake – the fruit compositions leaves no opens windows for flaws as there is several layers of complexity to seek. The taste is big, fleshy and very long, with killer harmony. A classic Barbera. (95)

Tasted 15th of May 2005. Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux Grand Cru

1997 Braida, Barbera Ai Suma, Piemonte, Italy

(TN from memory) Barbera is not for those who seek an intellectual wine. A statement often used by yours truly and when drinking a wine like the 1997 Ai Suma I can only concur to this theory. This wine is all about fruit (well almost) and on paper that sounds like a wine that will make a Wow entry and nothing more. But – there is something else about Ai Suma’s secret formula. The nose is a blackcurrant/blueberry rollercoaster, with massive layers of fruit, but the wine feeds itself from a firm drum of backbone mineral note that consist of iron and liquorice. The taste is silky, mouth-watering and deadly charming. But again it never ever became a boring wine to drink, the fruit just emerged with renewed strength from the glass and said “eat me tiger”. I recommend drinking this wine now, as it has reached perfect mature status. (95)

Wed 14 Jun, 2006