3 | Wine | Piedmont Misc, 91 to 95

"An overachiever in this vintage. Crushed flowers, pine, resin, menthol and herbs add layers of complexity to the racy, super-ripe red fruits. Despite its generosity, this remains an understated, representative Gattinara with lovely balance and harmony."

"Offers pretty blackberry and floral aromas, with cigar tobacco hints. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and silky, balanced fruit."

"The 2006 Gattinara Castelle flows with the essence of dark fruit, smoke, tar and scorched earth. This is a decidedly powerful, intense Gattinara endowed with gorgeous intensity in its fruit and fabulous overall balance. Floral notes are woven gracefully into the juicy, generous finish. The Castelle has more than enough structure to develop nicely for a number of years."

"The 2005 Gattinara Riserva possesses more depth, richness and sheer stuffing than the regular bottling. Incense, tar, wild cherries and herbs are some of the nuances that come to life in this powerful Gattinara. Another few years in bottle should allow the tannins to soften and the fruit to emerge with even greater authority."

"The 2003 Sori San Lorenzo is simply awesome. Boasting the darkest color of these wines as well as captivating aromatics, it is a brooding effort packed with notes of earthiness, tar, smoke, grilled herbs, cassis, licorice and super-ripe plummy fruit. It shows the qualities of 2003 in its full-throttle, expansive style yet it also possesses remarkable balance as well as fine tannins for the vintage. Although there is a little heat on the finish, I found this an utterly compelling wine."

"The 2008 Barbera d’Alba Cascina Francia is a classic Conterno Barbera. Layers of dark, brooding fruit come forth gradually, along with exotic scents of new leather, licorice, tar and soy that add complexity. This is a decidedly reserved, mineral-driven Barbera that will appeal most to readers who appreciate the focused side of Barbera as opposed to more opulent vintages such as 2007 where the fruit is decidedly forward. The Cascina Francia shows greater richness and density than the Ceretta, suggesting the direction that wine is likely to take in coming years."

"This deep, powerful Barolo reveals awesome richness and an almost liqueur-like quality to its fruit that is balanced by the chalky mineral notes that provide freshness on the finish and help convey an impression of notable balance. In 2003 there is no Monfortino, and the Cascina Francia surely benefits from the addition of that juice which is mostly felt in the wine’s depth."

"The 2006 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is a dense, brooding effort loaded with mineral-infused dark fruit, violets, graphite, flowers and French oak. This is an especially seamless yet mid-weight La Crena built on elegance rather than power, with an impeccably clean, polished finish that rounds things out. Usually I prefer Barbera on the young side, but La Crena truly sings around age ten or so. It remains one of the most under-the-radar wines in Piedmont. La Crena is made from vines that are over 70 years old in Agliano, one of the most privileged sites for Barbera in Piedmont."

"Roberto Voerzio’s 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo is insanely beautiful. This explosive, textured Nebbiolo bursts from the glass with endless layers of rich, textured fruit that lead to a racy, juicy finish. This shows spectacular balance and tons of harmony. Most producers would be thrilled to have this as their top Barolo but at Voerzio it is the entry-level wine. Readers who want to get a sense of what is in store with Voerzio’s 2007 Barolos should start here."

"Packed with fruit and spice, this displays flavors of violet candy and black currant, with vanilla and licorice accents. Well put together, with a light coating of tannins on the finish."