Piedmont

92 Points! The 2006 Barbaresco Pora impresses for its crystalline purity and inner perfume. This is a rather potent Pora loaded with dark cherries, minerals and French oak that shows surprising richness and intensity for the vintage, most likely owing to the warm microclimate in this site. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

The 2019 Barolo Rupestris is elegant, gracious and wonderfully lifted. All the elements are so wonderfully in balance. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, blood orange and spice soar out of the glass. Deep and pliant, the Rupestris has an extra level of refinement in 2019 that places it among the most successful wines of the vintage. It's an absolutely joyous wine from Augusto Cappellano that is also quite open today. I suspect that won't be the case for long, as the 2019 will likely shut down in bottle soon. Many years ago Baldo Cappellano asked me not to score his wines, so all Cappellano wines show up on our database as NR.- Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! From barrel, the 2022 Barbera D’Alba Carra sports a youthful dark purple color and is fruity with ripe plum and pressed lavender as well as some iron richness and gamey notes. Medium to full-bodied, it’s snappy with fresh acidity, but it has a more rounded feel. With some notes of ripe wild herbs that last through the elegant finish, this is a classic and ripe vintage, but it retains very nice freshness. Drink it over the next several years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The Cascina Penna-Currado 2022 Barbera d'Alba Carrà is executed as a "Superiore," although it is not labeled as such. Proprietors Elena Penna and Luca Currado say they only envisage having one Barbera in their new portfolio in addition to cru selections of Nebbiolo. They have a 25-year lease on the site that provides fruit for this pretty wine, and a careful selection is made to prioritize the best clusters. Healthy fruit is produced here thanks to luminosity and cool hillside breezes. A brief maceration is executed, and the wine matures in Slavonian oak casks. Tart plum and blackberry is folded into tangy licorice over medium-plus richness. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Luca and Elena have always been particularly invested in Barbera d’Alba as they were among the first to invest in it seriously. They believe strongly in the potential of this grape in communicating what the Langhe has to offer to a wide audience. The Carrà site is in the San Sebastiano area of Municipality of Monforte, with a particularly great natural biodiversity. Grapes come from predominantly from two parcels; one planted in 1965 and another in 2000. The wine is vinified partially whole cluster and aged in botti making it rich and concentrated but not too ripe.

94 Points! The 2020 Fara Barton, Boniperti’s top wine, is terrific. Dark and layered, the 2020 offers up tons of Nebbiolo character. Macerated dark cherry, menthol, licorice, spice and a host of balsamic inflections build in the glass. The 2020 spent 30 days on the skins and matured for 14 months in 22HL casks. It’s a gorgeous, classy, elegant wine that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The flagship 2010 Barolo Brunate benefits from thicker soils to build its structure and intensity. Despite the thicker soils, this is a silky and elegant wine that reflects the best merits of the vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

92 Points! This has aromas of plums, blueberries, violets and rosemary, with a touch of hazelnuts. Medium- to full-bodied, focused and firm, with chalky tannins and a satisfyingly textured finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

A rarity! Generally never imported into the U.S. but we managed to snag a few cases. This dolcetto comes from the Bricco Mirasole vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, made in very small quantities, less than 5,000 bottles. Brilliant...

Best. Nascetta. Ever. Young Marengo is a rising star...

92 Points! A bright ruby color, the 2021 Barbaresco is fresh and floral on the nose, with notes of fresh roses, raspberries, sweet herbs, and fresh peach. Medium-bodied and bright on the palate, with tangy citrus taking the lead, it offers finely coiled tannins, zesty acidity, and a chalky texture, then turns to more tangy cranberry-noted fruit, with a good bit of grip on the sides of the palate. This is a refreshing and energetic Barbaresco to drink over the next 10-12 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! Superb...These are the best Barbarescos I have tasted from Dave Fletcher. It is not easy for an outsider to establish themselves in Piedmont, which makes these wines doubly impressive. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! The La Spinetta 2019 Barolo Campè Vürsù is balanced and bright with a little more heft and overall fruit concentration. Dried cherry, blackberry, spice and black licorice all appear on the bouquet. This is smooth in consistency but shows a long, polished mouthfeel that is especially tight and elegant in this vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the importer: The most important wine of the estate, the Dolcetto for the top wine is sourced from parcels found in prime positions, as well as the oldest vines of the estate.  The 7-year wait from harvest to release reflects the importance of the “San Fereolo” to Nicoletta, who carefully tends the wine through its 3 years in large barrel before a 3-4 year hibernation in the bottle cellar.  Our spring 2015 tasting of each vintage from 2001 to 2008 revealed a consistent vein of dense, warm fruit, which spoke of the Langhe source.  Fresh mineral notes, mint, licorice and savory elements permeated each expression, while a lively freshness was alive in every wine, including the 14-year old 2001 vintage.

From the importer: Nicoletta Bocca is known as a maverick for her ultra-long aged Langhe cuvées, among the finest in the entire region. “Valdibà” is her youthful expression of the Dogliani DOCG, made all in steel cuve, which shows in the fresh brightness of the wine. Nicoletta considers this to be classical Dolcetto, striking all of the notes one would expect from the variety, with a confident tannic backbone. From southeast and northwest-facing vines in the Barracone and San Fereolo vineyards in the Valdibà subsection of Dogliani.

New blood at the former Cascina Ballarin in Barolo, biodynamic vineyards and thrilling, elegant wines!

Sourced from 2.2 hectares in different vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, at altitudes of 370-400m. The oldest vines date back to 1965, while the youngest were planted in 2006.