Why the Albarossa clone, a cross between barbera and nebbiolo, lay dormant from 1938 until 2002 is a mystery to me but thankfully four Piedmontese producers decided to resurrect the hybrid and make a go of it.  Pleasantly surprised, Vigne Regali’s version shows serious promise as a wine that could potentially garner new fans very quickly.  All the upfront and sappy plum and strawberry fruit you’ve come to expect from barbera, complete with its giddy nervous system, combines like a dream on the nose while nebbiolo’s slightly bitter tannins dance around the blackberry and concentrated blueberry flavors on the palate.  88/100   

Although barbera-nebbiolo blends have been crafted successfully for decades in Piedmont (given barbera’s natural lacks of tannin and nebbiolo’s naturally lacking acidity), many have lacked a seamless integration and have gotten overzealous with the use of barrique.  This is a surprisingly elegant wine whose nebbiolo side asks for a seat at the dinner table while the barbera side charms you instantly with blackberry and spicy red berry fruit layers woven into a velvety finish.  Excellent wine and a varietal to keep your eye on.  The bad news is that there less than 5 acres planted to the varietal thus far.  I’m sure that may change given the results in the bottle.