With fruit from La Morra, the Borgogno 2016 Barolo Fossati reveals a delicate textural fiber with softly layered aromas of dried blueberry, cassis, bitter almond and grilled rosemary. I often wonder about the wines of the venerated and historic estate of Borgogno; it has all its cards in place in terms of site selection, but then it ultimately falls short in terms of intensity and clarity of fruit. Everything is there, but it's also a bit muddled and blurred. This vintage shows good results, but I feel that more can be achieved and expected here.

Drawing fruit from La Morra, the Borgogno 2015 Barolo Fossati is another wine that boasts amazing DNA and then falls short of expectations. What's missing here is varietal purity and definition on the bouquet. The aromas feel muddled and confused. To be honest, the Fossati is one of the better wines in the bunch, but by this point in my tasting, disappointment is setting in.

Borgogno releases its cru Barolos one year later than its peers. The 2014 Barolo Fossati shows more structural integrity and a larger inner base onto which its aromas of dark cherry, spice and licorice can find liftoff. However, despite all that positive inner momentum, the wine ultimately has trouble lifting off in this difficult vintage.

Borgogno has produced a handsome line of single-vineyard Barolos from the 2013 vintage, including Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The 2013 Barolo Fossati is perhaps the most delicate and understated of the group. The wine needs more years of bottle aging before it starts to gain in focus and precision. At this young stage, it offers a thin layering of black fruit, spice, smoke and licorice. Give it more time to flesh out.

The 2012 Barolo Fossati is slightly more inward-looking and introspective compared to the other cru expressions presented this vintage. The Fossati vineyard is characterized by sandy soils and the wines made here veer towards extreme elegance and finesse. Indeed, this Barolo walks with light footsteps. The bouquet releases wild berry fruit, white cherry and dry licorice root. The wine will take on more volume and power as it continues its bottle evolution.