Raspberry, cherry and spice flavors are the main themes, shaded by earth and mineral elements. Though firm and dry on the finish, overall this red is balanced, with persistent length. Best from 2028 through 2042. 2,140...

This wine celebrates its 30th anniversary (1990–2020). With fruit from 40-year-old vines, the Pio Cesare 2020 Barbaresco Il Bricco is a production of 6,930 bottles plus magnums. This vintage reveals elegant aromas and...

Cesare Benvenuto of Pio Cesare tells me that what he loves most about the 2020 vintage is that it is, in his word: contemporary. "You can drink the wines immediately, the tannins are silky and hydrated and Nebbiolo shows...

This wine represents a blend of Nebbiolo from Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato, La Serra and Briccolina), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava and Garretti), La Morra (Roncaglie), Novello (Ravera) and, more recently, Monforte d'Alba...

Saturated with cherry, plum, iron, tar, menthol, tobacco and spice aromas and flavors, this powerful and complex red is defined by a vibrant structure, showing vivid acidity and energetic tannins. The finish brings nice...

Also from Rio Sordo, the 2020 Barbaresco Rio Sordo displays a sllightly deeper ruby color and has a sunnier feel, although it remains red-fruited and bright, with notes of ripe raspberries, candied roses, tea leaf...

The 2020 Nebbiolo Colline Novaresi Valplazza is another fabulous entry-level offering from Rovellotti. Deep and layered, with tons of varietal character, the Valplazza has so much to recommend it. Dried flowers, cinnamon...

The 2020 Barolo Monvigliero is a very pretty, ethereal wine. Crushed flowers, mint, bright, red-toned fruit, dried herbs and spice are nicely lifted. This pretty, nuanced Barolo is very classy, but also on the lighter...

Broad and expressive, delivering cherry, plum, earth and licorice flavors. Punctuated by lively acidity, this holds together nicely through the expansive finish. Best from 2026 through 2040. - BS

Here is another excellent wine from Brovia. The 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is angular and sharp with fine, firm tannins and a beautiful bouquet that opens slowly to tart cherry aromas, blue flower, crushed stone...

With fruit from Montforte d'Alba, the Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo Mosconi was first produced in 2015. Although the winery team has more than five years of experience with Mosconi, Cesare Benvenuto tells me that there was a...

A rich, ripe style, boasting cherry, raspberry, iron, tobacco, herb and spice flavors. This is dense, with aggressive tannins tipping the balance slightly in their favor, yet remains long and full of fruit to the end...

A well of pure cherry bubbles up in this red, complemented by rose, strawberry, mineral, wet pine and underbrush aromas and flavors. Though exuding finesse, this is layered with chalky tannins, yet still extends with a...

The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2020 Barolo Bussia is a fine and silky wine with the elegant power that is characteristics of this special cru. The wine shows bright fruit flavors with cherry and blackcurrant followed by earthy...

The Francesco Rinaldi & Figli 2020 Barolo Brunate is a wine of good sharpness and intensity. It has a broad range of aromas with dark fruit, licorice and dried mint. That herbal character is something I often recognize in...

The 2020 Barolo Monvigliero is a very pretty, ethereal wine. Crushed flowers, mint, bright, red-toned fruit, dried herbs and spice are nicely lifted. This pretty, nuanced Barolo is very classy, but also on the lighter...

96+ This is Brovia's main wine from Serralunga d'Alba. With the amber-colored bottle label, the 2020 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia has a similar mineral element like we saw in Brovia's wines from Castiglione Falletto, only...

The Francesco Rinaldi & Figli 2020 Barolo is on the ripe side of the spectrum with dark and sticky fruit. You sense the elegance of Nebbiolo buried within, but it is amply padded by soft raspberry and ripe cherry fruit...

The 2020 Barolo Colonnello is a big, strapping wine. Dark-fleshed fruit, new leather, licorice, herbs, menthol, licorice and torrefaction amplify the wine's natural breadth. The Colonnello offers an intriguing mix of...

Bright pale ruby with a garnet rim, this wine exhibits aromas of smashed violets, blood oranges, cinnamon and balsamic. The palate is soft and refined, full-bodied, with elegant tannins and lifted long acidity. Great...

A bright, well-defined red, this exhibits cherry, strawberry, licorice and wild herb aromas and flavors. Supple in texture, this firms up nicely, with finely wrought tannins and a lingering aftertaste. Best from 2026...

The most powerful of the bunch is the Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo Ornato. This is a structured wine with firm tannins and dense fruit that falls on the darker side of the spectrum with blackberry and damson plum. You also get...

The Michele Chiarlo 2020 Barolo Cerequio generally has more heft and power compared to the Cannubi, but like that wine, it also shows some of the extra concentration and root-versus-fruit flavors that come with a hot...

Pure and vibrant aromas of cranberry and wild strawberry lift from the glass as hints of thyme, forest floor and crushed chalk slowly surface. The palate's core is defined by the electric and vivid wild red-fruit flavors...

The 2020 Vigna Santa Caterina has enticing aromas of rose, violet and vineyard dust while the juicy, delicious palate boasts great red berry fruit, star anise and baking spice. Chalky, chewy tannins provide polished support.

This wine shows an especially minty character. The Francesco Rinaldi & Figli 2020 Barolo Cannubi has a bright profile of dark and purple fruits with a sweet finish. But those minty and spicy aromas make the difference...

With fruit from La Morra, the Francesco Rinaldi & Figli 2020 Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata does not show the same level of intense focus that you see in the other wines. The aromas are wide-ranging and perhaps short on...

The 2020 Barbaresco Vigneto Starderi turned out beautifully. Bright and focused, with tremendous purity, the 2020 impresses from the very first taste. Crushed flowers, sweet, red-toned fruit, mint, blood orange and bright...

Cinnamon, rose petal, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors are on display in this elegant red. Accents of menthol and earth chime in as this reveals more tannins on the lingering finish. Best from 2028 through 2046. - BS

A lean, tightly wound style, boasting cherry, strawberry and eucalyptus flavors, with a hint of tar. Its tannins are prominent for now, yet there's plenty of fruit and freshness in the background. Best from 2027 through...