Josetta Saffirio, Barolo Riserva (Piedmont, Italy) Castelletto MGA “Millenovecento48” 2017 ($85)

Despite the excellence of this producer and the highly respected Castelletto vineyard in the vintage of Monforte d’Alba from which this Riserva is sourced, I’m still just a bit amazed by the superb quality of this wine. My reasons are that 2017 was a notably hot growing season, which tends not to favor Riserva wines, which are typically made from fruit left on the vine longer than the Nebbiolo grapes employed for Barolos crafted with the shorter aging times required for Riserva designation. In very general terms, I advise against paying premium prices for Riserva Barolos even in less warm years, but I am especially leery about releases from hot years like 2017, 2018, or — going back a bit — 2007 or 2011. Given all of that, this is a terrific over-achiever. Although it displays the soft, open character of ripe fruit that was aged over a long term after vinification, it also shows admirable freshness, with enough acidity to lift the flavors as they linger through a finish that is structured by ripe, soft tannins.
95 Michael Franz