Michele Chiarlo, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC (Piedmont, Italy) 2018

 Lovers of Barbaresco and Barolo who wish to enjoy fine Nebbiolo on a more regular basis need more affordable options, and this is a very good choice.  The two alternative categories that rarely involve any notable oak or require aging are Nebbiolo d’Alba and — as in this case — Langhe Nebbiolo, with red Roero DOCG usually being somewhat more expensive and structured (but still less expensive than Barbaresco and Barolo).  But enough background:  This is a lovely, highly approachable rendition of Nebbiolo that is already approaching its peak of deliciousness.  Light in body and pigment concentration but still notably substantial in flavor, it features red cherry and red raspberry fruit with savory undertones recalling spices and carpaccio.  The savory accents serve as sensory counterpoints to the fruit flavors, keeping this from seeming remotely like red Kool Aid, and yet the savory and fruity elements really work together rather than pulling against one another, which is part of the magic of Nebbiolo.  The 2018 vintage will not go down as a historically great one for any of the Nebbiolo-based categories in Piedmont, but the wines are soft and user-friendly to a degree that surpasses any vintage going all the way back to 2007, and more affordable renditions such as this one show off the vintage’s strength for about half the cost of Barbaresco and Barolo wines from 2018 that are only marginally better.  This is delicious, and a bargain.