From the highest plots of Bricco di Treiso, Il Bricco has carried the clear voice of this vineyard since 1974, and a difficult vintage has done nothing to quiet it. Warmed cherry compote, crushed strawberries and dried herbs finely worked together offer a savory, uplifting complexity. The palate answers with generous baked plum and raspberry, tannins open and welcoming now but very much built to travel. Drink now to 2040.

Think of that friend who has been doing the same thing since the mid-eighties and just keeps raising the bar. Piodilei since 1985, and the 2023 is gloriously sure of itself, baked orchard fruit and heady flowers with roasted hazelnut and cream arriving with the kind of quiet, earned authority that only decades of mastery can deliver. A bright, clean line of acidity holds the whole beautiful picture perfectly in frame. Ready now, even better later. Drink now to 2045. 

Some wines ask for patience and this is one of them. Mosconi opens slowly and deliberately, warmed split cherries simmering with clove, anise and pink peppercorn, drying roses and dusty earth arriving with quiet, elegant authority. The palate follows with roasted red plums and a touch of strawberry jam, juicy yet taut, the tannins so smooth and easy the wine is gone almost before you realize it. A beautiful result from a difficult year. Drink now to 2045.

The 2022 Barolo Pio pours a medium ruby hue and has a beautiful perfume of cherry cordial, spice, and incense. This flagship bottling blends fruit from nine vineyards, with significant portions coming from Serralunga and Monforte d’Alba, along with parcels in Novello, La Morra, and Grinzane Cavour. Medium-bodied, it expands across the palate with surprising levity, ripe tannins, refreshing acidity, and very good length. Drink 2026-2038.

A deep Barbaresco, showing stony minerality, licorice and smoky tones, with a graceful nose of roses, violets, wild strawberries and plenty of mint. Powerful and extracted on the full-bodied palate, almost as large as a Barolo. The tight-knit structure supports firm, velvety tannins and a precise, woven finish. Drink or hold.