2015 Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia

Boasting immediate depth and dimension, the 2015 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia is a commanding and confident wine. Tasted from barrel, the wine's color is dense and very dark. Youthful fruit tones of blackberry confit and black currant give the wine a solid aromatic foundation. That base creates an appropriate framework for ethereal notes of licorice, black olive, spice and campfire ash. It is very difficult to achieve this level of complexity with Barbera, but Roberto Conterno does so with flawless perfection. The mouthfeel is round and plump, but the opulence of the wine is also reined in by its lively acidity. Jun 2017, www.robertparker.com