Here's a wine that I'm sure many Barale Fratelli fans have anxiously been awaiting. The 2016 Barolo Riserva Bussia Sergio Barale takes us back to one of the best vintages in recent memory; it had a long growing season that was never too hot, just like Nebbiolo likes it. Ripening sailed along slowly, allowing the variety to build slowly in complexity and power. This wine shows terrific freshness and primary fruit with wild berry and cherry that appears intact. From there, the bouquet descends into rusty mineral, blue flower and candied orange peel over a polished, silky finish. I tasted bottle number 361 of just 2,008 bottles made.

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Bussia Sergio Barale is a wine of enormous personality and vertical punch. There is perhaps an aldehydic note of nuttiness or dried cherry skin that adds to the lifted nature of the bouquet. I find it quite charming, actually, and it is something that appears rather consistently with past vintages. Maceration continues for 30 days in oak tanks with lots of work on the cap. The Riserva reveals dark fruits and purple berries, and the focus and sharpness of the fruit is remarkable. There are no baked or overripe elements here, despite the warm vintage. I tasted bottle 486 of 1,466 numbered bottles produced.

The 2014 Barolo Riserva Bussia Sergio Barale is the weaker link in this stellar group from Barale Fratelli, but this has to do mostly with the 2014 vintage, which feels less vibrant as I taste it now. Dried cherry and cassis with earthy tones appear, along with iron ore, licorice and crushed flowers. It's great now, but the jury is out on how much actual improvement age will be able to bring to this bottle. It is graceful and fragile, keeping with the house style.

Here is an excellent wine from Barale Fratelli. The 2011 Barolo Riserva Bussia Sergio Barale shows great definition and precision. At the same time, it never holds back in terms of power or intensity. The bouquet offers thick layers of dark fruit with licorice, tar and campfire ash. The wine stands out for the mouthfeel, thanks to its density and integrated tannins. Only 1,880 bottles were produced.

The 2010 Barolo Riserva Bussia Sergio Barale is an expansive and elegant wine that bursts open with focused aromas of dark fruit, game, tobacco, smoke, black olive and grilled herb. There are floral aromas of wild rose and pressed violet as well. This is a beautifully integrated and balanced wine that shows ample grace and power.