De Forville Barbaresco 2018

16.5/20 points Walter Speller (JancisRobinson.com): "Barbaresco. Tasted blind. Mid ruby with orange tinges. Deep balsamic nose of ripe fruit with a hint of Moroccan leather. Supple, generous, sweet cherry fruit on the palate with long, coating tannins. Very long and generous and ready now. Drinking window: 2021-2028. (6/14/21)"

Importer notes: "This is the standard-bearer for the estate. The vines are planted exclusively within the confines of Barbaresco and are scattered among various 'crus', including Rabaja and Pozzo. The average age of the vines is 35 years. After harvest, the juice is fermented in stainless steel for approximately two weeks; then the wine is racked into large oak 'botti' to age at least 18 additional months and frequently longer before being bottled. This wine is emblematic of the work done at the De Forville estate: the wine is rigorously traditional, marrying the finesse of Barbaresco with the alluring aromas and flavors of truffle, earth, berries, rose, tar and leather and carrying, most important of all, a backbone of sweet, dusty tannins that give length and breed."