Emanuele Rolfo, Roero DOCG Riserva (Piedmont, Italy) 2015

 This impressive wine shows the best characteristics of the 2015 vintage, leaning a bit more toward the style that many wines from Barbaresco displayed in this relatively warm year, though a few Barolo bottlings from that blessed vintage also show the same graceful, silky but sneaky powerful character that is the highlight here.  It shows plenty of Nebbiolo structure, but this offers such lovely, judiciously ripened fruit that the acidity and tannins just seem enveloped in dark cherry fruit.  There is noticeably more heft to this than you will find in the Roero Riserva wines from either 2014 or 2016, but the wine is not “hefty,” but rather just a bit more “meaty” in flavor and texture than the comparable wines from the vintages that sandwich this one.  For the longer-aged Riserva regimen, this riper style from 2015 works brilliantly, and I was very impressed to find that this wine was not remotely degraded by a full 24 hours between my initial tasting and a follow-up look.  Spicy, slightly savory and leathery, but still featuring sweet primary fruit flavors, this is looking extremely sturdy for now, and poised for significant improvement in the years ahead.