Flavio Roddolo, Barbera d'Alba, 2006

Flavio Roddolo is a one-of-a-kind Piedmont traditionalist, a quiet vine-grower whose wines are timeless precisely because he refuses to chase fashion. His Barbera d'Alba comes from his hillside vines in Monforte d'Alba and is aged in cask the old-fashioned way, giving a Barbera with far more structure and seriousness than the grape usually gets credit for. This 2006 is a back-vintage now drinking at full maturity, where Barbera's bright acidity keeps everything lively while age has added savory, earthy complexity. Roddolo's wines are perpetually in short supply, so a properly aged bottle is a real find. Decant it and meet one of the Langhe's true individualists.