Gianni Gagliardo, Langhe Nebbiolo (Piedmont, Italy) 2018

 Gagliardo is best known as a producer of high-quality Barolo.  Most producers in the region also release Nebbiolo-based wines that are typically made from younger vines with less oak influence, labeled either as Nebbiolo d’Alba or Langhe Nebbiolo.  The best of them offer a real taste of the nobility of this variety in a style that is easier to enjoy young and much more affordable, whereas lesser versions can be lacking in character, seeming in retrospect like a bad buy even if Barolo is two or three times more expensive.  This is a superb rendition that is completely delicious in its own right, thanks partly to the skill of the producer and partly to the 2018 vintage, which turned out soft, open, easy-to-enjoy Nebbiolo that is perfectly suited to this type of winemaking.  Even at this relatively young age (for Nebbiolo), it shows emerging savory notes recalling wild mushrooms, tobacco leaf, and even a faint hint of leather to lend complexity to the open, delicious fruit (reminiscent of dark cherries and black raspberries).  The tannins are soft enough to make this enjoyable even as a sipping red (highly unusual for Nebbiolo), though there is enough structure to enable this to work well with moderately robust foods.  This is an outstanding example of its type at a more-than-fair price.