Wine & Spirits - Winter 2023 - 66

Barolo & Barbaresco
90 | Marcarini
$96
2019 Barolo La Serra ^ Here's a supple and
elegant Barolo, its light color matched by
mature flavors of soft cherry and forest-floor
hints. Enjoy it with pasta in a light mushroom
ragù. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
90 | Mirafiore
$150
2019 Barolo Lazzarito ^ This wine's redcherry
and berry flavors feel rich and ripe,
taking on notes of cassis as rigid tannins
enclose the finish. Lay it down for a few years
to let the tannins soften and the flavors integrate.
§ Ethica, Miami, FL
90 | Cordero di
Montezemolo
$45
2019 Barolo Monfalletto (BEST BUY) ^ Flavors
of warmed black cherry and plum gain freshness
with exposure to air, picking up notes of
black tea and baking spice. This is a Barolo
that's ready to drink now and over the next
several years. § Ethica, Miami, FL
90 | Scarpa
$87
2019 Barolo Tettimorra ^ Dusty tannins
frame flavors of tart cherry and cherry cola
tinged with notes of warm spice. This is a
solidly structured Barolo built for prime rib. §
USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA
86 | Kirkland Signature
$20
2019 Barolo (BEST BUY) ^ This wine's flavors of
fleshy cherry and pliant tannins drink more
like a Langhe Nebbiolo than a Barolo-and
it's priced accordingly. § Ethica, Miami, FL
BARBARESCO
96 | Ronchi
2020 Barbaresco Gaia-Principe ^ Giancarlo
Rocca's red-label Barbaresco leads a stellar
set of releases from this estate-all the more
impressive as this is just the second vintage
of Gaia-Principe, though the first in which
all the fruit comes from 30- to 40-year-old
vines the Rocca family rents in that MGA.
The wine stands out for its seamless texture,
purity of fruit and complex undertones of
tar, tobacco leaf and subtle spice. Long,
lively and energetic, this is delicious today
and offers excellent aging potential. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
tones and energetic acidity, and has the freshness
to age well over the next decade. § Artisanal
Cellars, White River Junction, VT
95 | Ronchi
2020 Barbaresco Ronchi ^ The Rocca family's
winery sits right on the edge of the natural
amphitheater that is the Ronchi MGA,
where their vines range from 30 to 40 years
of age. Giancarlo Rocca ages this wine in a
mix of large botti and smaller French oak barrels
that impart a velvety texture and warm
spice notes to complement its high-toned
red-cherry flavors and delicate floral scents. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
94 | Piero Busso
2019 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Borgese ^
Pierguido Busso makes this wine with nebbiolo
from the estate's oldest vines, some
planted in 1948. He incorporated a new destemming
machine in the 2019 vintage that
makes a stricter selection of the fruit, and
that shows in this wine's fine, elegant tannins
and precise red-berry flavors layered with
notes of licorice and blood orange. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
94 | Fontanabianca
$70
2020 Barbaresco Serraboella ^ Flavors of
ripe red cherry and raspberry are fresh and
crunchy, with just enough tanginess to balance
this wine's savory notes of tree bark and
black tea. Warm spice notes soften the edges
and draw out the finish. § Ethica, Miami, FL
94 | Ronchi
2020 Barbaresco ^ Aged entirely in large
Slavonian casks, this Barbaresco offers classic
notes of floral-scented black cherry in a
smooth, silky texture. The fruit tones are
pure and lively, propelled by fresh acidity
that draws the flavors together and enhances
the wine's high-toned aromatics as the finish
lingers on warm spice. § North Berkeley
Imports, Berkeley, CA
94 | Francesco Versio
$68
2020 Barbaresco ^ Cool, mineral tannins
frame flavors of fleshy red cherry and raspberry
that feel robust and concentrated, yet,
at the same time, elegant and precise. The
wine offers immediate appeal in its bold fruit
66
WINE & SPIR IT S
W INTER 2023
93 | Piero Busso
2020 Barbaresco Mondino ^ Mondino's redcherry
flavors are crisp and precise, framed
by cool, firm tannins that contribute to the
wine's high-toned character. The flavors flow
in a smooth, seamless texture, staying taut
and bright through the long and balanced
finish. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
93 | Ca'Rome di Romano
Marengo
$132
2019 Barbaresco Maria di Brun ^ This is a
powerful Barbaresco, its dark cherry flavors
gripped by muscular tannins. The flavors
take on nuances of warm spice with exposure
to air, revealing a seamless texture and
richness of fruit, yet this is a wine that will
benefit from at least five years of cellaring
to soften those tannins. § Demeine Estates, St.
Helena, CA
93 | Fontanabianca
$70
2020 Barbaresco Bordini ^ Concentrated
flavors of juicy red and dark cherry weave
together in a taut, seamless texture. The
structure feels delicate and lacey at first, the
tannins gaining power over time as the pure
fruit tones are lifted by scents of fresh rose
petals. § Ethica, Miami, FL
93 | Marchesi di Grésy
$70
2019 Barbaresco Martinenga ^ The 2019
Martinenga takes time to unfold, its ample
spice notes eventually revealing flavors of
red cherry and raspberry that feel crisp
and lively, lifted by scents of bergamot and
orange peel. Its refined tannins and combination
of juicy cherry and bold spice hold
appeal for New World pinot noir drinkers. §
Dalla Terra, Napa, CA
https://www.northberkeleyimports.com/project/azienda-agricola-ronchi/ https://www.northberkeleyimports.com/project/azienda-agricola-piero-busso/
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2023

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