Ada Nada, Barbaresco “Valeirano” Piedmont, Italy 2017 (750mL)

Unlike the two vintages that preceded it, 2017 was a vintage known for more finessed, earlier-drinking wines, and I’d say Nada’s fits that description. It doesn’t lack for structure (this is the Nebbiolo grape, after all), but with some time open, this wine is approachable and likely to be more of a shorter-term ager. It’s a deep garnet red in the glass moving to a pink/orange rim, with a rich core of cherry, plum, and red currant fruit supported by scents of violet, rose, white pepper, leather, tobacco, and warm, wintry spices. It has the lithe, taut structure Barbaresco is famous for, with fine-grained tannins and a lot of mineral grip on the finish. Decant it 60 minutes before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems and watch it unfold over the course of a great meal.