The 2009 Barbaresco Serraboella fleshes out beautifully on the mid-palate, with generous, radiant fruit and compelling richness. Here, too, Cigliuti has done a fabulous job of capturing the personality of the year while maintaining plenty of Nebbiolo typicity and structure. This is easily one of the best wines in what has turned out to be a challenging vintage for Barbaresco in general. The Serraboella was aged in a combination of 60% cask and 40% French oak barrique and tonneaux. Here, the style of the wine and vintage marries well with the oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. Cigliuti is one of the many small, family-run estates that embodies the finest of the artisan traditions of Piedmont. I found a lot to like in these current releases. The 2009 Barbareschi showed quite well, even though they had been bottled just prior to my visit. They are fresh, vibrant wines with lovely balance for the year. The 2010s are shaping up to be even better, but they are at least a year away from hitting the market. Claudia Cigliuti describes 2009 as a vintage with heavy snowfall in the winter and considerable rain during the spring. The summer was warmer than normal, which resulted in a slightly early harvest that started on September 8 and finished with the Nebbiolo being brought in between the 20th and 25th. Cigliuti makes two Barbareschi. The Vie Erte (formerly Vigne Erte) is aged in cask, while the Serraboella is aged 60% in cask and 40% in French oak. Importers: Indigenous Selections, Fort Lauderdale FL; tel. (954) 530-4021; David Vincent Selection, Union, NJ; tel. (908) 397-9117; Bianco Rosso Imports, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 781-0702

Meaty and earthy, this red lays cherry, licorice, leather and spice flavors on a chewy texture. Concentrated and dense, with tannins that compete with the sweet fruit on the long finish. Best from 2015 through 2027. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbaresco Select to Add