2015 Roagna, Barolo, Comune di Barolo

The 2015 Barolo del Comune di Barolo is a gorgeous entry-level wine in this range. Succulent and forward, the 2015 offers quite a bit of immediacy and sheer appeal. Sweet red cherry fruit, spice, leather, mint, cedar and pipe tobacco are nicely pushed forward, but there is plenty of tannic spine underneath. This is an especially open-knit wine from Luca Roagna, not that I think most readers will have an issue with that, especially those of us who remember the bruisers of the past. The Barolo del Comune di Barolo is one of the wines in this range savvy readers will want to focus on for its quality, value and sheer deliciousness. Sadly, there are fewer than 100 cases to go around.

The Roagna 2015 Barolo del Comune di Barolo is balanced and elegant, with dark plum, dried cherry and crushed rose. Fruit comes from a tiny south-facing plot and production is a mere 1,128 bottles in this sunny and warm vintage. What's nice about this bottle is the fruit weight it imparts: It wraps smoothly over the palate with a carefully integrated and tucked-in tannic structure.