Alessandria Fratelli, Barolo DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) 2016

 Graceful and gorgeous, this is an object lesson in what a vintner with taste and restraint could achieve in 2016.  I don’t want to undersell this by over-emphasizing the “restraint” that was shown in growing and crafting the wine, which is quite deep in flavor and shows significant wood influence.  Still, the fine balance of structural elements and the proportionality of the aromas and flavors is what really makes this stand out — rather than the sheer weight of the wine.  Absolutely beautiful.