“The 2018 Barolo opens to ripe aromas of dried plum and tobacco. This vintage lacks some of the complexity of a cooler growing season, but these results are far from monochromatic. Those tobacco aromas cede to cedar, earth, forest floor and hints of shaved truffle.”

“The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Vigna Mosconi Fides delivers big ripeness and fruit weight with inky dark intensity, mature blackberry and syrupy blackberry or cherry essence. This hot vintage comes close to going overboard in terms of ripeness, but it is ultimately reined in by the grape’s fresh acidity.”

“The Pio Cesare 2019 Langhe Chardonnay Piodilei offers toasted almond, crushed flint and some of the fine-tuning that comes thanks to an extra year of bottle age. The bouquet focuses on stone fruit, honey, vanilla and pastry cream.”

“Compared to the Ornato, the 2018 Barolo Mosconi (with fruit from Monforte d'Alba) shows a tighter and more compact quality with a direct, linear and powerful approach. The bouquet builds in vertical intensity, starting with tart fruit aromas and culminating with tar, rusted nail and camphor ash. That aromatic ascent comes at you quickly, and the wine ultimately settles on a very wide, all-encompassing performance.”

“The 2018 Barolo Ornato reveals some very distant hot-vintage aromas that are vaguely reminiscent of dried raspberry or stewed plum. Nebbiolo is extremely sensitive to the warmer temperatures and even a hint of extra ripeness is easily detected. However, the wine is fluid and ever-evolving. Those fruit-driven aromas soon transition over to brooding complexity with smoke, tar and licorice. The Ornato paints a wide picture of that characteristic Serralunga d'Alba intensity.”