Bava, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) 2010

I blind-tasted newly-released, Nebbiolo-based wines in Piedmont in May, and for me the primary point of the effort is to find producers that are essentially unknown to me that are on the rise and making excellent wines.  There’s no doubting the excellence of this effort, which shows more smoky, toasty oak than I usually prefer, but it doesn’t obscure the alluring ripe fruit or the complex savory nuances that make this an obvious success.  Sharply detailed and immediately engaging.