The 2006 Muscardini "Pauli Ranch" Barbera (Ukiah, Mendocino County) was slurpably good. Sure it was pricey ($42, now $49 for the new vintage), alcoholic (14.9% abv), very ripe and very rich, and sure it tasted nothing like Piedmont...
But you know, the complex layers of deep berry fruit flavor were just so damn good! Utterly slurpable and a major surprise, even though I had quite liked the wine in their tasting room. There was also a delicious bit of "funkyness" which I enjoy in fruity wines in proper doses.
I guess I still straddle both sides of the austere-old world/fruity-New World divide-when something like this hits the glass. to be honest, the only American Barbera I can remember enjoying-the grape usually seems to produce insipid and sweet and blah wines.
Well worth 94 points- a classic for the varietal.
http://www.muscardinicellars.com/wines.html