The 2004 Barbera d’Alba Riserva Pozzo dell’Annunziata explodes from the glass with layers of vibrant black cherries, plums, violets, smoke, minerals and sweet toasted oak. It is a restrained, cool Barbera Pozzo, yet it offers outstanding purity of expression, with silky, finessed tannins that caress the palate in an extraordinary display of elegance that transcends varietal. Voerzio also opened a bottle of the 2003, which he prefers, for comparison. It may be the more pleasurable wine today, but the 2004 is a notch or two above when it comes to potential. The 2004 saw 16 months of oak versus the 2003, which spent two years in oak. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2019. Importer: Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620