Wine & Spirits - December 2020 - 92

91 | Orlando Abrigo

$86

2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rongalio ^ Fruit
for this wine comes from 35- to 40-year-old
vines in Meruzzano, the largest cru in the
Treiso commune. Bright acidity drives the
wine's juicy black-cherry flavors, the finish
lingering on dark spice notes. § Opici Wines,
Glen Rock, NJ
279008

91 | Ca'Rome

$114

2017 Barbaresco Rio Sordo ^ This wine's flavors of dark cherry and plum skin show hints
of licorice and mint. Its tannins are gripping
at present, needing time in the bottle to knit
into the fruit. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
279017

91 | Ca'Rome

$133

2016 Barbaresco Maria di Brun ^ Fruit from
the Rio Sordo cru yielded a wine that is dark
and dense, somewhat uncharacteristic of the
moderate 2016 growing season. The wine
aged for a year in French oak barriques and
two more in Slavonian casks, gaining formidable tannins and flavors of dried cherry,
tobacco and dark chocolate. § Empson USA,
Alexandria, VA
278987

91 | Michele Chiarlo

$90

2017 Barbaresco Asili ^ This is bold and spicy,
its firm, chewy tannins knitting together
flavors of black raspberry and dried plum.
Scents of violets add lift, but it is the rich
spice notes that last. § Kobrand, Purchase, NY
278984

91 | Giuseppe Cortese

$40

2017 Barbaresco (Best Buy) ^ Raspy tannins
frame cherry and raspberry flavor, that fruit
laced with notes of black tea and subtle spice
in this approachable Barbaresco. § Leonardo
LoCascio Selections/Winebow Imports, NY
279000

91 | Rivetti Massimo

$65

2016 Barbaresco Pierinvaletta ^ Cherry and
pomegranate flavors meld with notes of mint
and orange tea in this lively wine. Raspy tannins and hints of amaro underline and balance the bright fruit tones. § Kysela Père et Fils,
Winchester, VA
278974

91 | Nada

$40

2017 Barbaresco Casot (Best Buy) ^ The
Nada family produces this wine with fruit
from their 8.6 acres of vines in the Casot
cru, which they farm organically (certified).
Light in color, with scents of rose petals and
mild herbs, the wine shows a delicate side of
the warm 2017 vintage, perhaps the result of
the higher elevations in the Treiso commune. §
Vintage '59 Imports, Washington, DC
279012

92

WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2020

91 | Ronchi

$45

91 | Gabriele Scaglione

$66

2016 Barbaresco Ronchi ^ Giancarlo Rocca
makes this wine with fruit from vines aged
30 to 40 years, allowing the wine to ferment
spontaneously and aging it for two years in
a mix of large casks and French oak barrels.
The 2016 is high-toned and herb-inflected,
offering deep dark-cherry flavors edged in
notes of mint and lavender, with stolid tannins that cinch the flavors tautly together. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
279057
2008 Barbaresco Come un Volo ^ Notes of
crushed rose petals and dried thyme accent
this wine's soft cherry flavors. The fruit has
begun to fade a bit, but the wine offers a
pleasant example of aged Barbaresco that
should be enjoyed in the next couple of years. §
Matchvino, Salem, MA
278973

90 | Michele Chiarlo

$50

2017 Barbaresco Reyna ^ Fruit from the Barbaresco and Neive communes was harvested
two weeks early in the hot, dry 2017 growing season, preserving acidity to balance this
wine's dark-cherry flavors. Notes of menthol
brighten its dark fruit tones as the wine finishes warm and spicy. § Kobrand, Purchase, NY
279024

90 | Fontanafredda

$43

2016 Barbaresco Silver Label (Best Buy) ^
Notes of tar and licorice underline this wine's
bright red-cherry and orange-peel flavors.
Mid-weight in body, with an open-knit structure, the wine's appeal is in its mouthwatering acidity and juicy fruit. § Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
279014

90 | Luigi Giordano

$65

90 | Castello di Neive

$60

2016 Barbaresco Montestefano ^ This wine's
fresh floral scents lead into bright red-berry
flavors edged in citrus notes. It takes on notes
of dried plum and red spice with air, finishing on firm, dry tannins. § The Piedmont Guy,
Brooklyn, NY
279021
2017 Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano ^
Notes of licorice and spice weave through
this wine's flavors of ripe and dried cherries,
creating an autumnal impression that suggests pairing with pumpkin risotto. § Leonardo
LoCascio Selections/Winebow Imports, NY

279010

90 | Ronchi

$38

90 | Gabriele Scaglione

$53

88 | Luigi Giordano

$40

88 | Castello di Neive

$45

88 | Prunotto

$45

87 | Franco Serra

$28

2016 Barbaresco ^ An approachable Barbaresco, this offers flavors of red cherry and
orange peel buoyed by brisk acidity. Notes
of tobacco and subtle spice add dimension. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
279052
2014 Barbaresco Come un Volo ^ From the
Treiso commune, this is a taut wine with deep
cherry and raspberry flavors, balanced by
nervous acidity and accented with hints of
cedar and spice. § Matchvino, Sharon, CT
278983
2017 Barbaresco Cavanna (Best Buy) ^ Giordano's vines in the Cavanna cru spread across
southwest-facing slopes just above the Tanaro River. This wine, aged in large Slavonian
casks, provides a good introduction to traditionally-made Barbaresco, its cherry flavors
framed by firm, somewhat rustic tannins. §
The Piedmont Guy, Brooklyn, NY
279020
2017 Barbaresco (Best Buy) ^ Notes of tar
and tobacco accent this wine's flavors of dark
cherry and cassis, with some slightly medicinal notes showing some effects of the heat in
2017. Pour this wine with robust dishes like
braised lamb shoulder. § Leonardo LoCascio
Selections/Winebow Imports, NY
278972
2017 Barbaresco (Best Buy) ^ Light and
lithe, this is ready to drink now, with hightoned flavors of red cherry and orange peel.
Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, WA
278969
2017 Barbaresco (Best Buy) ^ With its flavors
of dark cherry and licorice, mid-weight frame
and accessible price, this a good candidate
for by-the-glass programs. § Scoperta Importing Co., Cleveland Heights, OH n
https://www.wine.com/product/ronchi-barbaresco-2016/616352
Wine & Spirits - December 2020

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