2 | Wine | Barolo, $50 to $100, 95 or higher

"This shows superb purity on the mid-palate, where hints of smoke, tar, licorice and a host of other aromas and flavors add complexity to the seamless fruit. A minerally, saline finish rounds things out in style. This is a stunning Barolo from Azelia."

"Ripe plum, verging on prune, with coffee and dark chocolate character. Full-bodied, with soft tannins that are very velvety and caressing. Chewy and concentrated. Sneaks up on you. A superb debut Barolo from Piedmont's best Dolcetto producer."

"All of the elements come together beautifully in the 2007 Barolo San Rocco. ...a wine that captures the essence of this great vintage as seen through the lens of one of Serralunga’s top sites. A dark, sensual Barolo, the San Rocco offers up a compelling array of blueberries, blackberries, smoke, licorice, spices and menthol. The finish is round, enveloping and powerful. There is an element of mystery to the San Rocco that is particularly intriguing."

"The 2007 Barolo Pajana is a showstopper. Waves of intense, beautifully delineated fruit flow onto the palate as the wine opens up in the glass. Sumptuous and elegant through and through, the Pajana shows marvelous delineation and clean, minerally notes that underpin the opulence of the fruit.This is a marvelous, totally complete Pajana of the highest level."

"The 2008 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is incredibly fine in this vintage, probably because of the addition of a new Riserva from this vineyard into the lineup. Dark red fruit, flowers, mint and spices flow from this graceful, refined Barolo. It will be interesting to see where the 2008 goes from here. I can’t say the 2008 is a very typical Bric del Fiasc because it is more finesse than power, but it is a very beautiful wine just the same."

"The 2008 Barolo Cannubi bursts from the glass with freshly cut flowers, black cherries, menthol and spices. It is a cool, reserved wine with plenty of Cannubi character. The 2008 is very young, but striking. The delineation, textural elegance and complexity are all first-rate."

"Emerges from the glass with endless layers of sweet spices, menthol, violets and dark fruit on a powerful, authoritative frame. This is a beautifully defined, sculpted wine of the very highest level. Tar, smoke and licorice linger on the finish. The tannins are massive at this stage, and the wine needs time, but the 2005 is undoubtedly one of the stars of the vintage."

This wine was named #44 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012.

"A pure, ethereal Barolo, boasting rose, cherry and strawberry aromas and flavors, with a touch of tar. Very harmonious and elegant, with firm yet well-delineated tannins supporting the whole. Old-school and refined."

"The 2006 Barolo Riserva Vignolo literally sparkles on the palate with layers of brilliant dark red fruit, flowers, mint and spices. It shows striking inner sweetness and perfume, with big yet well-integrated tannins and breathtaking balance. This is a great 2006 Barolo in the making. The tannins are huge, but so is the fruit. The 2006 Vignolo is going to be a fascinating wine to follow over the next few decades."

"Offers Christmas pudding, currant and other dried fruit. Full-bodied, with amazing concentration of ripe fruit and chewy tannins. Yet it's all in balance. Monumental."