The 2010 Barbera d’Alba Marun caresses the palate with dark berries, plums, flowers and French oak. Today the fruit is quite primary and powerful, while the oak needs time to integrate. Still, this is a serious wine. The Marun was aged in 30-hectoliter casks. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. It was great to go back to Correggia, as a few years had passed since my last visit. Ornella Correggia’s children, whom I remembered as young, are of course now grown up. Her son Giovanni looks set to continue the work of his late father. Longtime winemaker Luca Rostango has also pretty much grown up at the winery. In recent years, the estate has introduced large casks for a portion of their Barbera and Nebbiolo, marking a slight change in style that is now quite the norm throughout Piemonte. I also tasted a handful of older wines. While there is little question that the Correggia wines can age for years, whether they improve materially in bottle or not is another question, and a much more complex one to address. One of the myths of French oak is that it would “integrate” over time. The reality is that oak has to be perfectly integrated at the outset for wines to age well and gracefully. Various American importers, including: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300; Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887; Giuliana Imports, Boulder, CO; tel. (303) 449-5477; Cavatappi Distribution, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 282-5226

A dense, extracted style, boasting blackberry, plum, vanilla and toast flavors. The dusty tannins shore up the finish, with the fruit and spice notes lingering on the aftertaste. Drink now through 2017. 1,000 cases made.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbera d'Alba Select to Add

The 2009 Barbera d’Alba Marun shows fabulous intensity in its radiant dark raspberries, flowers, licorice and French oak. This juicy, silky Barbera boasts tons of polish and sheer sexiness. It should drink nicely for at least a handful of years. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2017. Even with the recent emergence of a number of growers in Roero, Correggia remains a reference-point winery. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Matteo Correggia’s untimely passing. In a decade that has seen such a huge explosion of quality in Piedmont and Roero it is only natural to wonder what kind of wines Correggia might be making if he were alive today. But you can’t live in the past, and the reality is that this is a very fine set of wines from the estate. As is often the case, many of the true jewels lie among the simpler offerings. Various American importers, including: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119, AHAWines, Portland, OR; tel. (503) 806-4472, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411

The 2007 Barbera d'Alba Marun possesses striking clarity and inner perfume in its silky fruit. This medium-bodied Barbera is notable for its total sense of harmony and finesse. Once again, Correggia has produced a terrific, juicy Barbera in the Marun. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119