Made only in magnum and released 10 years after the harvest, La Spinetta's 2009 Barbaresco Riserva Valeirano Vürsù (Magnum) ushers forth an amazing experience based on dark fruit, spice, smoke, balsam herb and grilled rosemary. The wine has moved forward along its aging trajectory but slowly and surely, revealing carefully measured evolution on the one hand and primary intensity on the other. You feel those 10 years of Nebbiolo-aging in the mouth, where silky tannins meet a mid-weight feel with good richness and concentration. A mere 600 magnums exist, and this is a bottle for cellar-keeping.

Tasted from magnum, the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Valeirano (Magnum) offers a lot of depth and penetration, with profound aromas of black fruit, cherry, dried herb and so much more. This is a dark and concentrated Barbaresco with background notes of barbecue spice, leather, tar, tobacco and ripe dark fruit. You'll get plenty of cola and balsam herb on the close. This result is no surprise. It is another beauty of a Riserva Valeirano and another soul-penetrating expression not to be missed. Only 600 magnums were made.

This wine represents a crowning achievement among an elite group of magnum-only delayed releases. The 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Valeirano (Magnum) is nothing short of magnificent. It is intense and articulate in ways you don't expect. Specifically, I am referring to the vibrant and dazzling quality of fruit that is traveling full speed ahead. Nothing about this wine has slowed down. In fact, I would expect this beautiful interpretation to pick up further speed and complexity as it continues its evolution. This wine is old but also new, sweet but also savory and powerful but also elegant. It is a wine of profound contrasts that find impeccable unity despite those inherent contradictions. Congratulations to La Spinetta.

This wine was tasted in a magnum. The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Valeirano is my favorite wine of the bunch. Those delicate tones of dried ginger, white truffle, pressed flower and rose petal are gorgeous on every conceivable level. The wine is dark, ethereal and brooding. Never still, it displays a quick succession of evolutionary phases even after a few minutes in the glass. I wouldn’t even think of touching this bottle for another ten years. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035. Giorgio Rivetti has unveiled a stunning line of new wines, and a few surprises as well, from his impeccable winery and tasting room at the foot of the Grinzane Cavour castle. The line of Riserva Barbarescos and Riserva Barolo will only be bottled in magnums in the best vintages. The year 2004 is the inaugural vintage of these special releases. Giorgio purchased a beautiful estate in the Grinzane Cavour estate for making Barolo. His vineyard graces a dome-shaped hill and is planted with 55- to 60-year-old Nebbiolo vines. Importers: Indigenous Selections, Fort Lauderdale, FL; tel. (954) 530-4021; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The 2003 Barbaresco Riserva Valeirano offers better balance than the Gallina in its dark ripe fruit, spices, new leather and minerals. It has plenty of stuffing to match its structural components. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. Importer: Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300