The 2016 Barbera d'Alba Ciabot du Re is a very rich and gutsy wine that can stand up to grilled meats marinated in strong Asian spices. The bouquet offers ripe, almost jammy notes of blackberry preserves and sun-dried fig. This wine embraces exuberance and opulence. It's all very agreeable, save for the 15.5% alcohol that does leave its mark. The wine ages in oak for 18 months, 80% of which is new oak. Only 5,000 bottles were made.

The 2015 Barbera d'Alba Ciabot du Re has captured so much of the sunshine and the summer heat that characterizes this vintage. Barbera has an amazing ability to do just that. This is a soft and succulent wine that is bursting with black fruit flavors of prune, blackberry and Morello cherry. The wine supports powerful alcohol (measured at 15.5%) but you feel it most as the wine warms in the glass.

The 2012 Barbera d'Alba Ciabot du Re opens to broad strokes of dark berry, blackcurrant, nutmeg and Christmas spice. The wine is extra plump and round with soft tannins and subdued acidity. It ages in French barrique for a long 18-month period. The overall effect is modern, oak-driven and polished.

The 2009 Barbera d’Alba Ciabot du Re bursts from the glass with raspberry jam, pain grille, vanillin, spices and French oak, all supported by elegant, silky tannins. The fruit boasts gorgeous purity, but the oak comes across as overdone. These grapes are so pristine they don’t need the make up. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887

The 2008 Barbera d’Alba Ciabot du Re is truly beautiful. It shows gorgeous richness and depth in its fruit, but with less of the toasted oak component of past years. The more enlightened use of French oak is allowing the fruit to shine through, and it does – with tons of class. This a delicious Barbera, and one of the finest wines in what was a very challenging harvest. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015 . A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119