The 2017 Barbaresco Martinenga is a very pretty wine. Crushed flowers, cedar, mint, tobacco and dried flowers are all beautifully lifted. In 2017, the Barbaresco has a bit more mid-palate stuffing than is the norm, but that works well in rounding out a Barbaresco that is often on the lighter side.

This wine pours from the bottle with a light ruby or garnet color. The Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy 2017 Barbaresco Martinenga puts on a fascinating aromatic performance that starts off with candied fruit (like cherry Sucrets) followed by a touch of medicinal or balsamic herb that adds some Nebbiolo context to the larger picture. The wine shifts quickly, moving away from those initial aromas to embrace grounded earthy tones of chalk, limestone, cola and zesty ginger. The wine's pretty evolution in the glass and those subtle transitions are very attractive. The mouthfeel is fine and delicate, and the tannin is well tucked in and silky. This production is 14,412 bottles strong, to be released in September 2020.

Marchesi di Grésy's 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Camp Gros Martinenga is a vibrant, finely-sculpted wine that captures the natural austerity of the year beautifully. Chalk, mint, pine, blood orange, rose petal and bright red cherry all develop in the glass, but it is really the wine's sizzling energy and tension that stand out most. This is an especially nervous style, and yet all the elements meld together so naturally. Pine, mint, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs add an attractive savory nuance as the wine starts to open up in the glass. The 2014 needs at least a few years in bottle, that is abundantly clear.

The daring nose here beckons you in, captivating with its wide range of dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, dried cranberries, tamarind and lemon drizzle cake. Then it seduces you with its athletic build, casting a steely net of crafty tannins over soft fruit, like chain mail over supple skin. A spattering of acidity rises from the midst, electrifying the whole palate and turning any remnants of dried fruit into raindrops of mineral citrus. Not a hugely powerful wine, but an essay in structure and elegance. Drink from 2024.    

From the Martinenga cru’s western end, adjacent to Rabajà, this Riserva is bold yet balanced in the warm 2015 vintage. It unfolds with lush red and dark cherry flavors accented by notes of lavender and dried herbs. The wine’s ample tannins honed first in barriques and then in Slavonian oak casks, remain firm and mineral, and will maintain balance as the wine ages over the next decade and beyond.

I love the tension and the glossy elegance here. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Camp Gros Martinenga is silky, bright and buoyant. It is complete and shows a lot of depth. It offers fresh acidity, and while it has a lean approach, it definitely has impressive length. This wine should evolve nicely over the next 10-20 years.

-Monica Larner

Camphor, forest berry, rose and exotic spice form the inviting nose Full-bodied and enveloping, the palate features dried cherry, tobacco and mocha before close-grained tannins grip the assertive close. Drink 2022–2029

The long, even growing season in 2016 yielded a beautifully floral and vibrant Barbaresco from Gaiun, the plots that border Asili on the western end of the Martinenga cru. This wine’s exuberant red cherry flavors rush across the palate, propelled by mouthwatering acidity as those flavors gain notes of orange peel, warm spice and a hint of vanilla. The wine’s elegant structure and impeccable balance indicate plenty of aging potential.