This is the first Riserva from this site. Floral, rose petal, strawberry cherry, supple texture, lighter in weight but full throttle flavors. Very long, with focused acidity to cut heavy sauces or fatty meats.

Past vintages of this wine were called Roncaglie Masseria, but the word Masseria has been removed. The Vietti 2021 Barbaresco Roncaglie draws its fruit from inclined vineyards that produce fruit with finesse and elegance. This pretty wine opens to a note of fragrant flower or heritage rose that accompanies you over a long, silky close. In a good vintage like 2021, vintners could push skin macerations a little longer. This wine saw 25 days on the skins compared to 22 days in the 2022 vintage. Vietti recently purchased land in Rabajà, a site that produces profound wines, and this plot in Roncaglie has a greater presence of sand in its soils, creating more floral and delicate expressions instead. This matures in large oak casks for 24 months, and production is 6,066 bottles.

Yes, it has stuff floating in the bottom of the bottle, the calling card for pét-nat wines, but don’t let that distract anyone unfamiliar with the process. That’s because this sparkler with the pop top cap is delightful – fresh orange flavors, lots of metallic minerality with good pétillance, and a surprising hint of gaminess in the aftertaste, a reminder that the grape is Montepulciano. It is no disrespect to say this would be a great intro wine for a younger person weaned on orange soda pop.

The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone is a classy, elegant wine. Today's Scarrone marries finesse and power with notable style. Racy dark red plum, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice are all beautifully delineated. This deep, classy Barbera is lights out.

The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Martinenga Camp Gros is one of the best wines I have tasted in 20 years of visiting the estate. Rich and explosive, the 2021 hits the palate with waves of balsamic-infused fruit, brisk acids and vibrant, pulsating tannins. Plum, gravel, incense, dried flowers and graphite add to an impression of somber gravitas. Readers should plan on cellaring this for at least a few years. The 2021 is an epic Camp Gros.