Conterno/Giacomo Barbera d'Alba Francia 2022

95 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "Scheduled to hit the market in October, the 2022 Barbera D'Alba is a bright ruby color and keeps remarkably fresh on the nose, with notes of wild black raspberries and fresh flowers. Certainly at the top level of where Barbera generally performs, its freshness and buoyancy are followed by silky tannins and a seamless structure on the palate, with a bit of warmth and lovely notes of tea leaf on its fresh finish. This is a stunning and truly delicious Barbera. Open and drinking well now, it’s going to have a wide drinking window. Drink: 2024-2040. (5/13/24)"

93 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$85 list] Barbera does not mind a hot vintage, and from that we can extrapolate that this variety has the most latitude when it comes to climate change. However, it is also vulnerable to Esca disease, and this is a big concern for vintner Roberto Conterno and the winemaking community at large. The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia sees fruit mostly from the lower part of this celebrated site, with vines planted in 1974. Various stages of vine replacement have occurred over the years, and the team is now deciding to start more comprehensive replanting efforts. "Things have gotten worse in the last three years," he says. The Francia vineyard has calcareous soils at the top with sandy and blue marl below. That layer is almost as hard as cement, he says, and it starts to break apart in areas closer to the surface. The soils between upper and lower Francia (with Nebbiolo and Barbera, respectively) don't change too much. This is a beautiful wine with lingering aromas of dark fruit, sous-bois, potting soil and wet iron. The wine's fruit profile grows with time in the glass, giving black cherry intensity. With an ample 15.5% alcohol content, it offers a very richly developed mouthfeel with extra textural heft. Drink: 2025-2038. (1/30/25)"