The 2008 Barbera d’Asti Bricco dell’Uccellone is a gorgeous wine. Layers of graphite and minerals run through the dark fruit, contributing notable drive and energy to the finish. This is a pretty, restrained Bricco dell’Uccellone that relies less on the sheer power of previous vintages. Ideally the wine is best given a few years in bottle to come together. Today is highly promising. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. These are some of the most exciting wines I have tasted from Braida in a long time. In particular, the 2008 Barbere are exceptional. It’s hard to tell how much of that is attributable to the vintage itself versus winemaking, but the simple reality is that the 2008s are beautiful, elegant, refined Barbere that avoid the excessive heaviness that was common in the past. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907