Barra of Mendocino: Impressive Wines at Reasonable Prices

Barra of Mendocino is crafting very good wines at very reasonable prices under the guiding hand of winemaker Randy Meyer.  We are especially impressed with Barra’s new releases of Chardonnay and Petite Sirah. Read our reviews below.

Winemaker Randy Meyer

The Barra of Mendocino project began in 1954 when Charlie Barra purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards located at the headwaters of the Russian River north of Ukiah in Mendocino County. For over four decades, he sold the grapes from his vineyard holdings, but in 1997 he started making wine with the talented John Parducci and created the Barra of Mendocino brand. Today, the Barra family’s vineyard holdings have expanded to 350 acres, including 265 acres at the Redwood Valley Vineyards estate, all organically cultivated.  All the wines produced by Barra are made from grapes grown on the estate, but about 85 percent of the grapes are sold to other producers.

The Wines

Barra 2021 Reserve Chardonnay Mendocino ($24) 92  Medium yellow gold. This is a well-made California Chardonnay balancing dense fruit with bright acidity and just enough French oak to lend good structure and rich mouth feel.  Balance is the right word for this wine as it includes freshness, a nice backbone, and rich flavor with perfectly integrated oak. Old Wente clone sourced from the estate vineyard originally planted in 1955; spends 7 months on the lees and matured in 30% new French oak. pH 3.39, 14% alc.  Perhaps the best value in California Chardonnay today.

Barra 2020 Reserve Zinfandel Mendocino ($26) 91  Opaque. Aromas of ripe, dark red fruit show on the nose and are mirrored on the firm and nicely balanced palate.  Quite dark fruited for a Zinfandel, but the wine has good freshness, round tannins and a long finish. A blend of 92% Zinfandel and 8% Petite Sirah matured 17 months in 25% new French oak. pH 3.51, 14.5% alc.

Barra 2020 Reserve Petite Sirah Mendocino ($28) 92  Opaque purple red.  Dark plum fruit, uplifting floral notes and a touch of cracked pepper show on the nose. With its nicely concentrated black fruit, fresh acidity, and rich, long finish with firm tannins, this is the perfect wine for grilled meats. Made from organically cultivated grapes. pH 3.54, 14.5% alc.

Barra 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino ($28) 91  Medium dark red, this Cabernet offers superb value. It opens with a spicy nose of red plum with a touch of underbrush. Next comes an earth-accented palate of dark red fruit. But it’s the texture in the mouth that makes this wine special—it’s silky smooth with fine grained tannins and just right acidity.  pH 3.79, 14.5% alc.