Dolcetto and Barbera On the following pages I offer notes on the best

 dolcetto and barbera bottlings I tasted in the Piedmont in September and

 subsequently at home this fall.

 The

 recent succession of superb Piedmont vintages has been kind to these varieties,

 although a few growers told me that the early-ripening dolcetto had some

 problems in 2000 as the nights during the key early September period were very

 cool. The high-acid, low-tannin

 barbera, which is harvested three or four weeks after dolcetto, has enjoyed a

 string of highly successful years since 1997: thorough ripening has enabled these wines to develop more sugar and

 flesh to buffer their bracing acids. Dolcetto is generally a supple, intensely fruity,

 medium-bodied, low-acid wine with solid tannic support. Because dolcetto is normally inexpensive and

 destined for early drinking, most examples are made in tank or larger, neutral

 barrels; only a few are aged in French barriques. Barbera is generally leaner and more penetrating, relying almost

 entirely on its acidity, rather than its tannins, for structure. Its cherry and berry flavors are often

 complicated by spice notes and more obvious suggestions of soil. But it's also a more serious wine, with the

 best examples possessing good density and the ability to gain in nuance with

 bottle aging and last well. Competition

 among quality-conscious estates has motivated producers to reduce barbera crop

 levels in order to make riper, more concentrated wines. Stronger raw materials, in turn, have

 allowed an increasing number of producers to age these wines in small French

 oak barrels, which can intensify the natural spicy character of this variety

 and provide tannic grip. The sweetness

 of the wood also helps to buffer barbera's brisk acidity. But where the underlying material is

 limited, the result can often be chocolatey, tarry and sometimes bitter wine in

 which the oak overwhelms and dries the fruit. Due to the plethora of successful bottles I found,

 notes are provided only for those wines I rated 87 points or higher.

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