Tenuta Garetto, Barbera d’Asti Superiore (Piedmont, Italy) 2018

 The 2018 growing season that turned out soft, ripe wines made from Nebbiolo, with very pleasant but hardly historic results for Barolo and Barbaresco.  By contrast, Barbera’s inherently high acidity and low tannin was well suited to produce fresh — and even snappy — wines that are delicious now but balanced for years of future enjoyment.  This is a delightful example of the breed, with the hallmark characteristics of blackberry and black raspberry but also a slightly sweet fruity streak and a thin line of savory flavor that is likely traceable to some portion of the wine being aged traditionally in large, neutral oak vessels.  Easy to enjoy on its own but also wonderfully versatile at the table, this is a wine to snap up if you find it.