Notes of cherries and dried cranberries with orange peel and dried violets with hazelnut undertones. It’s medium-bodied and velvety with a supple tannin structure and flattering, delicate red fruit character. Very attractive now with plenty of freshness as well as floral and mineral notes, but best from 2025.

The 2007 Barbaresco Coste Rubin is one of the finest versions of this wine I can remember tasting. Sweet perfumed cherries, roses and flowers of all sorts emerge from this graceful, delicate Barbaresco. The Coste Rubin possesses dazzling inner perfume, silky tannins and exceptional overall balance. This is hard to resist today but should also develop beautifully over the next few years. The 2007 is a huge step away from the massively concentrated wines of the past. The Coste Rubin shut down quickly in the glass and may be headed for a period of dormancy. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Fontanafredda remains one of the great mysteries of Piedmont. The estate owns some of the very finest vineyards in the entire region. Still, far too many wines remain undistinguished. That said, important strides are being made at the high-end. As part of his massive rebranding exercise, proprietor Oscar Farinetti has removed the Lazzarito bottling from the Fontanafredda lineup and added it to the Mirafiore offerings, also reviewed in this issue. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799