The 2007 Barolo Cannubbio is superb in this vintage. Sweet red cherries, rose petals, mint, anise and licorice are just some of the notes that emerge from the glass. Ultimately, though, the Cannubbio is most about silkiness and textural elegance. The wine fleshes out nicely with air, showing the richness of the vintage, while maintaining a classic sense of structure. The more the wine sits in the glass the more it firms up. Sweet scents of tobacco, licorice and herbs are nicely layered into the finish. This is a terrific showing from Rinaldi. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2032. This is a solid set of new releases from Francesco Rinaldi. I would be hard pressed to name another winery that has made more significant improvements in the overall quality of the wines than Francesco Rinaldi. The style remains rigorously traditional, but the wines are far more elegant than they were just a few years ago. The 2007 Baroli are quite typical for the year. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404; Vinity Wine Company, Emeryville, CA; tel. (510) 601-6010; Triage Wines Inc., Seattle, WA; tel. (503) 236-6262; World Wide Cellars, Minneapolis, MN; tel. (612) 378-0025; Classic Wine Company, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 871-9463

Barolo Cannubbio has a chewy, ripe side that comes across aromatically as strawberry, vanilla cream, cinnamon and soy sauce. There’s depth and elegance here as well with sweet spice renderings on the firm close.——M.L.(9/1/2011)—— 91