Giuseppe Nada, Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy) 2010

Enrico Nada is a rising young star making a range of impressive wines and a downright stunning Barbaresco from a steep, perfectly exposed Cru called Casot near Treiso. Tasted twice blind and then again at the winery (how could I not ask to see the people behind this?), the wine shows billowing aromas that interweave ripe fruit scents with a host of floral, earthy, meaty and leathery accents. Light-medium in body, explosive in flavor, and delicate in texture, this is traditionally made, with no overt oak but plenty of acidic and tannic structure to develop over time. However, it is among the most immediately enjoyable Barbarescos I’ve tasted during the past decade, edging out Nada’s 2009 Casot, which I rated 94 in a blind tasting in May of 2012. Enrico thinks the 2009 will eventually be the better of the two wines, and though I’m not initially inclined to agree, I’m damned sure going to re-run the test for as long as I can get my mitts on the wines. By the way, the Riserva wines from this house are also very complex and tastefully made, and Langhe Nebbiolo is also quite successful.