Barbera D'Alba Poderi Elia 2004

If you've been keeping up with my posts, you know that it is time to check out the oaked Barbera. This one is an 04 and the prior Barb (we're comfortable with each other) was an 08. Surprise, surprise, surprise. (Jim Nabors - dead or alive?) - I like this one better. "Smoother" says Mrs. Vino. Yup, and the oak is hardly noticable, but the wine just has more flavor and better "length" - the pleasant flavor lingers for a while. Our neice Rachel, picks up on some cherry flavors and Mrs. Vino get's black licorice. (I agree - now that it is suggested.) Look for it! It is also in the $10 range. (Alive!)

Briccotonido - Barbera - Fontanafredda 2008

I asked my local wine merchant for something different and he pointed me to an un-oaked (this wine) and an oaked (next review) Barbera from Italia. This wine was very nice. Yeah, I know, "nice" isn't really a descriptive word for wine - but that is what it was. Nothing complex. Fruit forward, but certainly not sweet. More flavors came through toward the end. Given my oak-phobia, I'm guessing this wine will beat out the oaked one - but we'll see. Oh - geez I almost forgot -this one was in the $10 range - you weren't expecting anything else.