Barbaresco Riserva Asili, Produttori del Barbaresco 2013

Absolutely stunning in every way, the 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is also the most complete wine in the lineup at this stage. Floral, lifted and exquisitely beautiful, the 2013 speaks to regal elegance and finesse above all else. Silky tannins add to an impression of total sensuality. At this stage, there is almost no impression of tannin, as the wine is so impeccably balanced. The 2013 shuts down quickly in the glass, which may suggest it is headed for a long period of dormancy. Readers who can find the Asili should not miss it, as it is truly sublime.

Here is a wine with a long and promising future ahead. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a Nebbiolo that boasts the tannic tightness, acidity and compact fruit flavors you look for when assessing a wine's potential for cellar longevity. This vintage delivers encouraging results on all fronts. The mouthfeel is firm, compact and ready to loosen with time. The bouquet is both generous and dramatic with dark fruit followed by spice, smoke and an attractive mineral footprint. The finish is dry and almost salty, thanks to those lingering tones of brimstone and pencil shaving. The 2013 growing season saw a late harvest, and this helped to achieve full tannic and flavor ripeness. Hold off from drinking this wine for at least 5 years but preferably more.

Fragrant and elegant, this opens with a textbook Nebbiolo bouquet showing scents of tilled soil, rose, wild red berry, Alpine herb and a whiff of new leather. The taut, vibrant palate evokes sour cherry, juicy strawberry, licorice and clove framed in refined tannins and bright acidity. It's balanced and gorgeous but still young, so give it several more years to evolve into the beauty it's destined to become. Drink 2020–2033.