Gianni Gagliardo, Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy) 2018

 I tasted this wine alongside Tenuta Garetto’s Barbera d’Asti Superiore 2018, and the wines finished neck-and-neck, albeit for different reasons.  Of the two, this is the more taut, modern, and classy example, with bright and piercing acidity that is entirely appropriate for the variety and welcome in the hot-ish 2018 vintage.  Although the styling of the wine is clean and modern, the ripeness is very nicely restrained and the acidity is very nicely traditional in its “edgy” impact.  What would I do if pressed to choose one or the other?  Demand another glass of both in order to deliberate more thoroughly.  As a less cheery aside, it isn’t so clear that wines like this will be easily available in the future, due to climate change making it easier to ripen the higher-priced Nebbiolo in vineyard sites oriented in almost any direction.  So, word to the wise, buy this as a hedge against an uncertain future.