The 2006 Barbera d’Alba Brichet is a simple, accessible Barbera with attractive fruit and a juicy, plump personality. It is best enjoyed over the next year or two. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2009. Although Beppe Caviola is best known for the work he does consulting for various local estates, he is also an accomplished producer in his own right. Because of his technical background it is not surprising that in the past Caviola was an ardent advocate of a super-clean style of winemaking. While Caviola’s wines were always excellent, they often came across as sterile and lacking personality. Today Caviola preaches a much more non-interventionalist philosophy, including the use of natural rather than selected yeasts. The evolution of his thinking is representative of the radical but quiet shift that is taking place at many estates today. Readers are sure to find much pleasure in the approachable, fruit-driven wines of Beppe Caviola. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200