A bright and vivid Barbaresco with hibiscus, orange peel and watermelon. Medium body, firm and racy tannins and a fresh finish. Closed now. Vegan. Needs time to soften. Better after 2026.

A release of 5,193 bottles, the Vietti 2017 Barbaresco Masseria opens to a spicy bouquet with a subtle point of white pepper or dried ginger that hovers over the bouquet, albeit briefly. At its core, the wine shows bright berry notes and some plum, although the wine's concentration remains finely etched and elegantly streamlined, overall. I do find the tannins to be a little dry and dusty in this hot-vintage release.

The 2016 Barbaresco Masseria represents its own chapter in the volumes of wines that make up the Vietti portfolio. Masseria is always delicate and fine, and this is even more true in a classic vintage such as this. This wine has historically seen its fruit come from the Neive subzone of the Barbaresco appellation, and you'll notice some of the tightly polished and glossy tannins that are associated with this area. In fact, the wine is deceiving in that it starts off slowly, but it quickly amasses power and momentum on the mid-palate. Production is 3,479 bottles and 300 magnums. This is standout vintage of Vietti's Barbaresco Masseria.

Energetic, displaying rich cherry, plum, menthol and tar aromas and flavors. This is dense and feels like it's closing down, but the lasting impression is of sweet fruit. Offers a long, succulent finish. Best from 2022 through 2040. 401 cases made, 123 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbaresco Select to Add

The 2015 Barbaresco Masseria shows nice, delicate fiber and a silkiness that marks this rendition as one of the most subtle and refined in recent memory. It's a much more elegant approach than 2010, for example, another hot July and August growing season that produced very different results, perhaps with more rigidity at the back. Serve this softer wine from 2015 with some blue cheese or Gorgonzola. The team at Vietti has gained access to more fruit in Barbaresco, including acquisitions in 2018 of 2.5 hectares in Roncaglie and 8,000 square meters of vines in Rabajà. Masseria is a fantasy name, but it technically is the informal name of part of the Cottà cru in Neive.