Pio Cesare's Barbaresco is a wonderful wine with intense blackberry,violet, dried herbs andcinnamon aromas on the nose. Superb generous fruit, underlying roasted chestnut notes and rich slinky dense tannins on the palate and a lengthy finish. A great wine for collectors or to enjoy now.

Situated between Neive and the town of Barbaresco itself, Curra beautifully combines the rich, fuller-bodied nature of Neive, with the tannic structure of Barbaresco. With a due south exposure, it is usually the biggest and most structured of the Sottimano crus and for that reason its normally released a year behind the other crus. A wine of great personality, with powerful red fruit aromas and notes of menthol, tar and spices, leading to a firmly structured palate of great volume and length. Always a keeper, Curra is a 15-20+ year cellaring proposition.

Just outside the town of Neive, the Fausoni cru produces wines of elegance, with a velvety personality. Notes of spices, menthol, eucalyptus and sweet red fruits abound, while the palate typically shows lovely richness and persistence, finishing with fine grained minerally tannins and a hint of menthol. A beautiful, refined Barbaresco, with a 15-20 year cellar life.

Gavarini Vigna Chiniera is a contemporary expression of traditional Barolo. Of Grassos two regular Barolos, Chiniera is the more feminine in style, showing a more floral personality in a finer, more elegant style. The fruit comes from a south-facing 3 ha plot within the Gavarini vineyard, 320-360 meters above sea level, on relatively loose-packed, slightly sandy, calcareous soil. Driven by rigorous attention to detail in the vineyard and picking at optimum phenolic maturity, the Grasso style is underscored by immaculate winemaking. Vigna Chiniera is fermented in stainless steel and typically spends 30 days on skins followed by 30 months maturation in 2500L Slavonian oak casks.

Casa Maté is the more masculine of Grassos two regular Barolos, showing darker fruit, more tar and a more robust tannin profile. The fruit comes from a south-facing 3 ha plot within the Ginestra vineyard, 300-350 meters above sea level, on relatively loose-packed, slightly clayey, calcareous soil. Driven by rigorous attention to detail in the vineyard and picking at optimum phenolic maturity, Grassos Vigna Casa Maté is a contemporary expression of traditional Barolo underscored by immaculate winemaking. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and typically spends 30 days on skins followed by 30 months maturation in 2500L Slavonian oak casks.

On the palate it is very vigorous, rich in extracts, with lively and pleasant tannins that are rounded through a skilful use of wood. A powerful, tantalizing Nebbiolo by Luigi Pira with a great ageing potential.

On the palate it is very vigorous, rich in extracts, with lively and pleasant tannins that are rounded through a skilful use of wood. A powerful, tantalizing wine with a great ageing potential.

Harmonious and open-knit, the village Barolo from Paolo Scavino is sourced from the best plots of seven different Barolo crus. Each plot is vinified separately contributing different characteristics to the final blend. The result is a balanced, complex and stylish Barolo with a strong regional identity.

Situated between Neive and the town of Barbaresco itself, Cotta beautifully combines the rich, fuller-bodied nature of Neive, with the tannic structure of Barbaresco. With a south-west exposure, it is usally the richest and roundest of the Sottimano crus, typically showing abundant red and black fruits with refined nuances of mint, leading to a palate of notable length. The tannins are there, but beautifully expressive and silky. A benchmark Barbaresco with a 15-20 year cellar life.

From one of the best vineyards in Treiso, Pajore brings wonderful harmony to the suite of Sottimano crus. A typically expressive nose of small red fruits, minerals, tobacco, violets and licorice leads to a velvety palate of great suppleness and personality. Usually the most approachable, Pajore nonetheless delivers great length on a fine, minerally finish. An impeccable, 15-20 year wine.

ELVIO COGNO Ravera, Barolo