Robert Pepi did a fine job with the 1996 Barbera. Made from a 20-year old vineyard in Sonoma (owned by the Kunde family), this is a soft, chewy, friendly wine with plenty of black cherry fruit dosed with a subtle, spicy, oaky component. Smooth, round, and accessible, with no hard edges, this is a nice plump pasta wine to drink over the next 2-3 years. Robert Pepi is emerging as one of the leaders of the Etruscan gang of California winemakers seeking to turn out wines from grapes primarily associated with Italy. However, Pepi has other offerings as well.Tel. (707) 944-2807; Fax (707) 944-5628