Vietti’s 2007 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is a thrilling glass of wine. Jammy dark fruit, minerals, spices and French oak come together beautifully in this opulent, gorgeous La Crena. Today the wine is naturally quite primary, but with another few years in the bottle, it should develop plenty of tertiary nuances. I generally have my best experiences with La Crena around age ten, and have found it to be a wine that can stand side by side with just about anything. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405

Inky, displaying blackberry, cassis, chocolate and fruitcake aromas and flavors, with a dusty cocoa feel on the finish. Its vibrancy keeps this focused and very long on the aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 750 cases made, 250 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbera d'Asti Select to Add

Here’s a dense and thickly extracted Barbera from the excellent 2007 vintage with a brooding, black appearance and aromas of smoke, black fruit, cassis and leather. The oak elements you taste at the very end still need to integrate within the overall flavors of this wine. Give it two more years.——M.L.(9/1/2010)—— 91