2016 Brovia, Barolo, Villero

The 2016 Barolo Villero is one of the most refined editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Lavender, spice, licorice, mint and blue/purplish fruit are beautifully delineated here. Transparent and nuanced, the Villero is so classy. There is plenty of depth and structure, but what impresses most about the Villero is how unusually sophisticated it is. Time in the glass brings out the wine's explosive personality, but the 2016 remains incredibly elegant, especially for this site. This is a tremendous showing from Brovia.

Castiglione Falletto. Tasted blind. Mid ruby. Dark spice and minerally, stony notes on the nose. Brooding, sweet fruit cut through by ripe acidity. Still very compact and backward on the finish, yet succulent and with fine, long tannic grip. (WS)