Marziano Abbona, Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy) 2008

 Since it is possible to buy good Barbera for as little as $12, I suspect that many consumers are reticent when asked to pony up nearly twice that, as would be necessary to taste this wine.  However, it is an equally valid to observe that few wines from anywhere in Italy costing $25 or less can offer the depth, complexity, and structural interplay of acidity and fruit that one can find in a really good Barbera from a top Piedmontese producer.  And just to be clear, this is a very good Barbera.  Although it displays the bright beam of acidity for which the grape is justly famous, it is enveloped in so much ripe, sweet fruit that the wine always seem–at once–to be both relaxed and taut in terms of flavor and structure.  Aromas of melted butter and ripe berries lead into broad, deep flavors that prove very persistent, tailing off symmetrically in a balanced, surprisingly fresh finish.