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 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.

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Camp Gros is a powerful, burly wine. There is a good bit of depth to the red-toned fruit, but the tannins are pretty overpowering. I am not used to seeing this level of aggressiveness in the Camp Gros. Hopefully time will help the 2015 find a bit better balance. For now, the 2015 is a wine to bury in a deep corner of the cellar.

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.

The 2016 Barbaresco Gaiun Martinenga packs a serious punch. The rich style of this site married to the classicism of the year results in a Barbaresco that is going to need a bit of time to come around. Gaiun is often plush and voluptuous. In 2016, large-scaled tannins wrap around all of that fruit intensity, adding a very appealing dimension of the structure. Sweet red cherry, cinnamon, mint, cedar, rose petal and blood orange build into the complex, layered finish. I have seen the Gaiun age effortlessly in its top vintages. I have no doubt that it will be the case here as well.

This red evokes pure cherry and black pepper flavors, with hints of tar, earth and tobacco on a lightweight frame. It's more savory than fruity at this stage, with latent ripeness. Dense, chalky tannins rim the finish, with fine balanceand length overall. Best from 2023 through 2038. —B.S.

From the warm, dry 2017 vintage, this wine is impressively nuanced, with delicate floral scents, pliant tannins and plush red fruit. A selection off 35- to 40-year-old vines, the wine aged for a year in barriques (30 percent new) and then in Slavonian oak casks. It’s appealing now, though the wine has the freshness to age well, too.