2015 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi, Piedmont

It’s the fruit tea and hibiscus that really lifts this, not to mention the roasted herbs that lurk beneath the surface. But there’s no shortage of dried fruit either, whether it be dried cherries, dried plums or Christmas cake. It’s a real mouth-coater, showing sheer elegance in a bottle, encapsulated in the tannins that weave an ornate tapestry, hung between every corner of the palate. Full-bodied and very, very long. Best ever? Drink in 2025.

This wine draws its fruit from a half hectare of vines that have often suffered in the hot years, and it will be discontinued as of the 2018 vintage. The Scavino family was not able to renew their lease here. There is a lovely elegance to this 2015 Barolo Cannubi, due largely to the high elevation of this parcel, where there is more dryness in the topsoil and more erosion, resulting in less plant vigor. It is made from smaller grape clusters. There is more concentration to this Barolo as well, and the tannins are never too powerful. But the low yields in the past and the general challenge to growing here make for more difficulty than it is worth, so I suppose this 2015 vintage could be considered something of a collector's item as a result.