Cortese’s 2011 Barbera d’Alba is absolutely delicious. Vibrant dark berries, flowers and spices all jump from the glass. The 2011 is a decidedly juicy, extroverted, unoaked Barbera that will provide considerable pleasure over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014. Piercarlo Cortese describes 2009 as a very consistent year. The 2009 harvest started at the end of September, slightly ahead of normal, and finished on October 15. The Cortese Barbareschi undergo malolactic fermentation in steel and are aged exclusively in cask. Cortese has recently expanded their holdings with a new lease in Rabaja, which will bump production up slightly in coming years. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620