Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco Riserva Asili, 2016

Asili is one of Barbaresco's top crus (MGAs), and the Produttori del Barbaresco's Riserva bottlings from it are among the great values in age-worthy wine anywhere, single-vineyard Nebbiolo from a top co-op that consistently delivers at 5, 10, 20, even 30 years. Asili sits on the gentler, more perfumed side of the Barbaresco spectrum, known for elegance, florality and finesse rather than brute power. The 2016 was a stunning, benchmark vintage — prized for its transparency and precise structure across the board — and in Asili it produces a Riserva of extraordinary floral perfume, clarity and drive. The Riserva format adds extra aging in large oak, giving a wine with the depth and staying power to reward serious patience. A great vintage of a great cru; buy it, cellar it, thank yourself later.