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The 2021 Guidalberto, San Guido's blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is soft, succulent and alluring right out of the gate. The supple contours of Merlot lend fleshiness to this mid-weight, racy Maremma blend. Ripe red cherry fruit, spice, leather and tobacco are nicely pushed forward. Best of all, the 2021 will drink well right out of the gate.

The 2016 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba shows the added weight and tannic heft of Serralunga (vis-à-vis the straight Barolo), but it too is done in a mid-weight style that requires minimal cellaring. Iron, smoke, sage, mint and a host of feral nuances are laced into a core of dark fruit. There is plenty of character here, that much is evident. The Comune is a blend of six parcels in town.

The 2018 Phélan Ségur appears to have lost the green edge that I observed from barrel, now coming across fresh with blackberry, seaweed and light sea spray scents. It gently unfurls with aeration, though never slips into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, just a touch of dark chocolate infusing the black fruit and a cohesive, slightly peppery finish. This is a deftly crafted Phélan Ségur that will benefit from 3–4 years in bottle.

The 2016 Barolo Arborina is powerful and tightly wound, with explosive energy that is just waiting to fully emerge. Readers will find an especially rich, potent expression of this Arborina site. Black cherry, violet, lavender and spice add to a real sense of gravitas. The 2016 needs time in bottle to be at its best, but it has terrific freshness and persistence. The significant presence of clay in this portion of Arborina contributes to the wine's size. This is such a gorgeous wine.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully inward and darkly floral with an herbal tinge and hints of crushed ashen stone that give way to vivid black raspberry and exotic spice. This is juicy and spry, with racy cherry-berry fruit and stimulating acidity that creates a sensation of boundless energy, even as a saturation of primary concentration settles in toward the close. The 2019 finishes with incredible length and youthful tension, leaving balsamic spice, sage and licorice notes lingering over a bed of dusty tannins.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is coy in the glass, slowly evolving with vivid black cherries, mentholated herbs and hints of cooling mint. This is silky and sleek, quite feminine in character and shows tremendous depth. It holds its power in reserve as a coating of chalky red and blue-toned fruits slowly saturates. This finishes long and youthfully tense with dusty tannins and minerals that mingle through the finale. The potential here is high, yet patience will be required.

The 2016 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio is very pretty in 2016. Medium in body and supple, the Bricco Ambrogio captures all of the personality of the year in a mid-weight style that makes it easy to drink and enjoy young. The balance of fruit, acid and structure is just superb here. Pretty floral and spice overtones add nuance. Bricco Ambrogio is always the most accessible of the Scavino cru Barolos. The 2016 is the finest wine from this site yet.

The 2016 Barolo Vigneto Garretti is bold, racy and super-expressive. Succulent dark cherry, lavender, spice, menthol, red flowers, licorice, and French oak all meld together in this creamy, racy wine from La Spinetta. The Garretti captures all of the richness and pedigree of the year in a forward, succulent style that is sure to find many admirers. This is an especially strong vintage for this wine, though it needs another year in bottle for the big tannins to soften. I won't be surprised if the 2016 turns out to be even better than this note suggests; today it is absolutely delicious.

The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a brooding wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Iron, smoke, tobacco, cedar and dried flowers add a feral, earthy quality that is so appealing. Pora is often one of the more approachable Riservas in this range, but the 2016 is an exception. Readers should be prepared to cellar it for at least a few years.