It ‘s wonderful when a great wine producer makes less expensive versions of his classy wines, which you can enjoy younger than those great bottles. This Nebbiolo wine is from the prestigious Martinenga vineyard of Marchesi di Gresy, one of the top producers in the Barbaresco zone of Piedmont. The Martinenga vineyard is situated entirely within the Barbaresco zone, and its grapes produce a cru Barbaresco as well as two super-cru Barberscos from special parcels called Camp Gros and Gaiun. This wine is instead is classified a Langhe Nebbiolo (a larger appellation) because it is not oaked, as Barbaresco must be. It has vivid aromas and flavors of wild red cherries and a vaguely floral perfume. In your mouth it’s dry and medium-bodied, lean with Nebbiolo’s classic acid-tannin structure but also fresh and lively with pristine fruitiness, and an earthy note of tar. This is an easy-to-drink wine that’s also serious. Totally enjoyable now, it will probably actually improve over the next five years. 90 points.
