A tight and focused Le Vigne with strawberry, orange-peel and floral aromas and hints of hazelnuts. Not giving it all now. Full-bodied, very intense and focused. Extremely long and polished, tannic finish. Drink in 2023 or onwards.

The 2015 Barolo Le Vigne is a multi-vineyard blend from the sites of Vignane (Barolo, just beside Bussia), Merli (Novello), Baudana (Serralunga d’Alba), and Villero (Castiglione Falletto). It sees the standard relatively short maceration and is brought up in 25% new French oak 500-liter barrels. It’s a more expressive, sexy, and exuberant wine compared to the floral yet precise Alestes release and has classic notes of ripe cherries, asphalt, licorice, loamy soil, and dried herbs. It too shows the warmth and sunny style of the vintage yet has beautiful tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s another beautiful 2015 that has the fruit and texture to shine today yet the underlying structure and balance to keep for 25-30 years.

Ripe black-skinned berry, pipe tobacco, ground clove and star anise lead the way on this full-bodied red. The smooth, tightly knit palate offers succulent black cherry, cranberry compote, coconut and espresso alongside firm, fine-grained tannins. A licorice note graces the finish. Drink 2022–2030.

(95+ points) Luciano Sandrone expected this would be a beautiful year for Nebbiolo, with fruit showing the qualities of an important wine all throughout the growing season and right up to harvest. And yes, the 2015 Barolo le Vigne did turn out to be a great vintage, with a full aromatic array of perfumed rose, lavender and violet. For all of its generosity and expressiveness, with just a beautiful bouquet that sings out a seductive mezzo-soprano aria, be forewarned that in the mouth this is followed by rigidity and nervousness. That explosive bouquet might mislead you into thinking this is a rather evolved wine, but you certainly feel its youth on the palate. To be frank, this was an easy year to make wine, and it's not a big surprise that this edition of le Vigne turned out to be as classic and as good as it is. It should get even better with time.-ML

Distinctive aromas of freshly mowed hay, blood orange and cherry mark this supple, elegant and vibrant Barolo. Tightens up on the finish, but chalk that up to youthful exuberance. Stretches out nicely on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2042. — B.S.