Piedmont

97 Points! The Domenico Clerico 2021 Barolo Ginestra Pajana is polished and beautifully defined with red fruit, crushed stone and blue flower. All of these wines from 2021 offer extraordinary depth and perfumed complexity. However, the tannic fabric of this wine is firmer and denser. You'll want to give this bottle more time to let those tannins resolve. They are beautifully chalky as it stands now but will grow silkier as they integrate. This is an important, proud Barolo from an epic vintage. The vineyards date back to 1971, with a second planting in 1991. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

96 Points! A complex and vibrant wine with an enticing nose of Parma violets, dried cherries, strawberries, licorice and a hint of cinnamon. Full-bodied, it shows extracted and velvety tannins despite its youth, with fruit concentration, chewy acidity and an energetic, bracing finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! Between the Pajana and the Ciabot Mentin, I have a preference for the latter. The Domenico Clerico 2021 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin comes from the higher part of the slope (with vines planted in 1978) and offers an extremely precise and finely stitched bouquet that incorporates elements of cassis, wild berry, herb, blue flower and crushed stone. The mineral signature is a little more pronounced in this wine, and it leans into iron ore and rusty nail. Like the Pajana, the tannins are quite firm, and the wine will need more time in bottle to integrate. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

96 Points! Aromas of sweet violets, potpourri, dried cherries, pomegranates and hints of chocolate, licorice and blood oranges. Full-bodied on the palate, it shows delicate, ripe and velvety tannins that are tightly knit with acidity, pushing the finish in a sophisticated way. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! A reflective, saturated ruby red color, the 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pora opens with ripe aromas of raspberry, black cherry cordial, toasted cedar, and forest earth. Medium-bodied, it saturates the palate with plush fruit and an approachable texture while maintaining good length. It feels like one of the more immediate wines of the range in this noble vintage, although the oak will need time to fully integrate on the nose. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! Offering a mix of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors, this red starts out round and open before dense, chalky tannins emerge. This almost feels approachable now yet should develop well over time. The lasting impression is of ripe fruit. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Classic and intense yet fresh, showing sweet-violet and cherry-pit aromas, this is slightly mineral and savory with graceful balsamic depth. Medium-bodied and approachable with velvety tannins wrapped in dried flowers, tight yet interwoven in the very long finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a fabulous introduction to the singlevineyard wines in this range. Pliant and resonant in the glass, the 2021 impresses with its solid core of fruit and exceptional balance. A wine of depth and structure, the Pora is compelling. Wild cherry fruit, spice, new leather and blood orange fill out the layers. This is an especially fine Pora. There is so much to look forward to. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

98 Points! Stunning depth on the nose of this complex red, showing dried violets and roses, intoxicating balsamic, strawberries, cherries and a distinctive leafy lightness with a whiff of mint. Elegant on the attack, with ripe, velvety and tightly knit tannins. Extracted and savory with refreshing acidity, showing stony minerality and licorice in the very persistent, multilayered finish. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Mint and menthol aromas mark this opulent red, whose black cherry and blackberry fruit permeates the fleshy texture. Augmented by tar, iron and wild thyme flavors, all backed by a line of dense tannins on the finish. Balanced yet will need time to integrate. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pajé pours a jeweled red color and remains somewhat reserved at this early stage. Aromas of orange peel, powdery floral perfume, ripe pomegranate, and baked earth emerge gradually from the glass. Medium-bodied, it has focused acidity and a more linear feel, with fine-grained tannins and a balanced, floating finish that carries a noble elegance. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

96 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is deep, dense wine. Strong spice and balsamic notes wrap around a core of dark-toned fruit. A brooding, packed powerhouse, the Pajè needs a number of years to be at its most expressive. This is classic Pajè all way, dialed up to eleven. Time in the glass brings out the wine's complex, dynamic personality and overall breadth. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

98 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is an alluring beauty that melds together the signatures of this site with the structure of the year at this address. Floral, bright and bursting with energy, the Asili is a star. Blood orange, kirsch, red-toned fruit, cedar, mint and spice rush from the glass. Here, too, readers will have to be patient. This is pure and total sensuality. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points! Bursting with raspberry, black cherry, violet and mineral aromas and flavors, this red is supple and juicy. Its refined tannins are offset by youthful flesh and provide plenty of support for future development. Balanced, with a long finish that picks up notes of wild herbs. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Asili pours a bright red color and offers appealing aromas of incense, preserved cranberries, wildflowers, and orange zest. Medium-bodied, it offers mouthwatering salinity, refreshing acidity, and fine tannins that carry through a long finish. I love where this wine is already, capturing terrific energy and balance. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

97 Points! This outstanding cooperative takes an all-or-nothing approach to Riserva, making nine MGA bottlings only in vintages when separating them out doesn’t diminish the quality of its main Barbaresco. From an excellent lineup in 2021, Asili distinguishes itself for its intrinsic finesse and stately, effortless power. It allies cherry blossoms with warm summer berries, freshly turned soil and pine needles. But truly, its expression is still ruminating, simmering and waiting to explode. The tannins are commanding without being aggressive. Very crisp and precise. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! There’s a core of cherry, raspberry, rose, earth and eucalyptus in this powerful yet reserved Barbaresco. Flashes of orange peel and amaro emerge as the vivid acidity kicks in. The tannins are accordingly dense, and this shuts down on the finish today. Nevertheless, there’s a majesty to this red and the sense of a thoroughbred waiting to emerge. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà pours a jeweled red color and reveals layered aromatics of licorice candies, fresh cherry, redcurrant, violet, and crystalline mineral tones. Medium-bodied, it has excellent balance, with savory tobacco accents, refined red fruit, and beautifully shaped tannins. I love the structure here as well as the overall harmony of the wine. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

97+ Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is dark, powerful and explosive. That's the good news. Readers will have to be patient with this brooding, sepia-toned Barbaresco. Dark fruit, graphite, new leather, licorice, scorched earth and gravel add to an impression of muscular gravitas. The 2021 needs a bit of time in the glass to start opening, but when it does, it's magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points ! Youthful and pure, a bit austere at the moment, showing earthy minerality, dark chocolate, restrained black cherries and red currants with Earl Grey tea aromas. Full-bodied and vibrant, this has elegant, velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and stunning savoriness with almost meaty depth. The multilayered, juicy finish is full of fruit, flowers and licorice. Not easy, yet outstanding. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! From the warm, southwest-exposed vineyards along one of Barbaresco’s most revered ridges, the 2021 echoes the complexity of soil and nuances of terrain with the resolute backbone this site is notorious for. With coaxing, it becomes rather evocatively scented. Sweet herbs and juniper emerge, followed by orange and baking spice, yet the austere palate still needs to catch up. All is simmering at the intense red berry core, while well-toned, muscular tannins provide plenty to chew on. These are stony and finessed but will require time. Mouthwatering and long on the finish. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Balsamic style jumps out of the glass, with herb, eucalyptus and potpourri aromas alongside watermelon and mint-filled chocolate. The graceful attack shows ripe, elegant tannins, larger-grained in the end, with long, refreshing acidity and a savory finish. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota pours a bright red color and offers stunning aromatic complexity in its notes of redcurrants, incense, suede, and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it has refined tannins and a haunting, almost weightless feel that lingers through the finish. It balances power with a cooling citrus lift and beautiful elegance. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! Supple in texture and beautifully balanced, this red almost seems to defy gravity with its airy feel and bright flavors of strawberry, cherry, rose hip and mineral. Tightens up on the finish, where the red fruit notes mingle with chalky tannins. - Wine Spectator

97+ Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano pours a medium red color and remains somewhat shy at this early stage with notes of black raspberries and dusty earth. Medium-bodied, it has more structure to the tannins and a coiled feel, with refreshing notes of orange citrus and mandarin that suit its firmer frame. Historically, this site was sometimes described as the “Barolo of Barbaresco” for its structure. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

97 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is a dense, hulking wine. Powerful and dense to the core, the Montestefano is a big, broad-shouldered wine that is going to need a few years to be at its most expressive. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, spice, menthol are all amplified in this potent Barbaresco. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

96 Points! Black currant, blackberry, violet, tobacco and sweet spices highlight this suave, fruity red. Opulent for the vintage and solidly built, with a long, resonant finish that echoes the fruit and adds iron and mineral notes. Excellent length. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! A rich version, offering flavors of black cherry, blackberry, violet, iron and spices, with a line of dense tannins underneath. The fruit builds, yet overall this is reserved and less expressive than its peers despite a deep core of fruit. Shows balance and fine length, but give this time. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico pours a slightly deeper red color than the Ovello and opens with inviting aromas of sweet cedar, cherry liqueur, toasted spice, and polished leather. Medium-bodied, it delivers vibrant acidity, velvety tannins, and a bit more depth and structure on the palate. The finish is long and persistent. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is a tense, vibrant wine. Whereas in most vintages the Montefico can be a touch austere, the 2021 has plenty of energy, but also the textural depth to pull it all together. In that sense, the Montefico is a terrific example of the vintage here. Its concentration and persistence are the stuff dreams are made of. Hints of sage, graphite, chalk and mint explode on the back end. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points! Distinctive for its balsamic notes of green olive and juniper, with flavors of earth, plum, blackberry and iron. There’s breadth, and this red is balanced in a youthful way. Should knit together nicely in a few years. - Wine Spectator

94+ Points! The Cantina del Pino 2021 Barbaresco Albesani has an especially floral bouquet with dried rose petal and a savory touch of redwood or cedar. This wine carries a high 15% alcohol content, and although it remains relatively contained within the mid-weight fiber of the wine, it does stand out. It spends 24 months in botte grande and 18 months in bottle in order to capture the elegance of the fruit. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

97 Points! Earthy, meaty aromas and flavors lead off, with submerged notes of cherry and berry fruit. A dense matrix of tannins leaves a drying feel as this winds down on the white pepper–infused aftertaste. Still raw and unevolved, this is nonetheless long. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! This is the wine that best captures the spirit of Cantina del Pino. The 2021 Barbaresco Ovello draws its fruit from nearby the winery at 300 meters in elevation on limestone marl and silt. Aged in large oak casks for a long 24 months, it shows delicate fruit tones of cassis and dried cherry with blue flower and grilled herb. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! A pretty red, this exudes cherry, strawberry, pomegranate and rose flavors, plus a touch of earth. Open and harmonious, yet with a firm, vibrant structure that will allow this to age gracefully. Offers terrific length and a fruit-driven aftertaste. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! The Cantina del Pino 2021 Barbaresco is perfumed and nuanced with pretty fruit tones of cassis and dried cherry and an equally important floral side with rose potpourri and iris root. The wine starts fermentation in both stainless steel and oak vats, and it matures in large oak casks for 24 months before going into bottle. It glides over the palate with polished tannins and a lean to mid-weight mouthfeel. I'd give this vintage a little more bottle age to allow it to flesh out further. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Grown in Barbaresco and aged for eight months in stainless steel this wine has all the fruity and spicy characteristics of a traditional Barbaresco, but it is meant to be consumed young. Complex and smooth with good structure of fruit and tannins. 

Impressive wines from a new Nebbiolo star!

One of the most impressive new Italian wines we've tasted this year. Alberto is talented...this wine is impossibly silky and fine!

95 Points! A spicy wine with aromas of licorice, potpourri, meat, dried cherries and a hint of leather. Full-bodied with firm tannins and a tense and bony character. Still youthful and tight with a great polished finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com