Pio Cesare 2005 Barbera d'Alba

Medium-dark red color.

Vanilliny oak dominates the smell, with cherry, plum, and peach.

The flavor, too, is splintery with oak, and here, too, stone-fruits lurk behind the trees.

Refreshing with tart acid. It's not an unpleasant bottle but for $19.99 I'd prefer more fruit, less wood.