It’s a wonder why Reverie makes Barbera, an inferior variety and a tough sell, but they do, so you have to pay attention. This ’09 is dry, big in tannins, acidic and rich in blackberry, raisin and mushu plum sauce flavors. It will probably live for decades, gradually sweetening but unlikely to ever achieve complexity.——S.H.(4/1/2012)—— 87

There’s a reason few wineries nowadays produce Barbera. It’s a boring wine, and just because it comes from as fine a producer as Reverie can’t change that fact. The wine is dry, tannic and dull, with unevenly ripened flavors. ——S.H.(6/1/2011)—— 82