2021 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Pora, Piedmont

From a 10.5-hectare vineyard rooted in limestone-rich soils, the Produttori del Barbaresco 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pora opens my annual tasting of the Riservas. I usually start with Pora because of its fine, silky personality and its more accessible fruit profile, which leans toward primary aromas of sweet cherry and raspberry. The 2021 vintage adds an extra layer of precision, delivering a wine of remarkable focus and definition, yet there is a moment of youthful fleshiness on the mid-palate. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in large oak botti, this wine captures the graceful side of Barbaresco while showcasing the exceptional balance of the vintage. This is a 20,000-bottle release. Drink 2026-2048.

95 points Monica Larner for The Wine Advocate

The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a fabulous introduction to the single-vineyard wines in this range. Pliant and resonant in the glass, the 2021 impresses with its solid core of fruit and exceptional balance. A wine of depth and structure, the Pora is compelling. Wild cherry fruit, spice, new leather and blood orange fill out the layers. This is an especially fine Pora. There is so much to look forward to. Drink 2027-2041.

95 points Antonio Galloni for Vinous

Classic and intense yet fresh, showing sweet-violet and cherry-pit aromas, this is slightly mineral and savory with graceful balsamic depth. Medium-bodied and approachable with velvety tannins wrapped in dried flowers, tight yet interwoven in the very long finish. March 2026 release. Drink or hold.

95 points Aldo Fiordelli for James Suckling

A reflective, saturated ruby red color, the 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Pora opens with ripe aromas of raspberry, black cherry cordial, toasted cedar, and forest earth. Medium-bodied, it saturates the palate with plush fruit and an approachable texture while maintaining good length. It feels like one of the more immediate wines of the range in this noble vintage, although the oak will need time to fully integrate on the nose. Roughly 20,000 bottles were produced. Drink 2026-2046.

95+ points Audrey Frick for Jeb Dunnuck

Few wines embody the enduring greatness of Barbaresco like the single vineyard Riservas of Produttori del Barbaresco. Produced only in exceptional vintages from the cooperative's finest crus, these iconic wines have become benchmarks for traditional Nebbiolo, revered by collectors for their purity, authenticity and extraordinary ability to age. Pora is one of the appellation's most historic vineyards, producing Barbaresco of exceptional perfume, elegance and harmony, where refinement and quiet power walk hand in hand. The outstanding 2021 vintage is already being hailed as one of the finest of the modern era, making this a release of exceptional significance.

Positioned on gently sloping, south west facing hills just below the village of Barbaresco, Pora's limestone rich marl soils consistently produce Nebbiolo of remarkable balance and finesse. The superb 2021 growing season delivered fruit of exceptional concentration, vibrant acidity and beautifully sculpted tannins. Long maturation in large Slavonian oak casks preserves the character of this celebrated cru, allowing its complexity and sense of place to shine with remarkable clarity.

The colour is a brilliant garnet with youthful ruby reflections. Fragrant aromas of wild cherry, blood orange and crushed raspberry are layered with dried rose petals, violet, anise, truffle, tobacco leaf and hints of ironstone. The palate is beautifully detailed and seamlessly structured, with vibrant red fruits carried by finely etched tannins and remarkable freshness. Layers of tea leaf, liquorice, forest floor and savoury spice unfold across a long, graceful finish that lingers with the poise, precision and quiet authority that define the finest examples of Pora.

Magnificent with tajarin tossed in butter and white truffle, braised veal, roast duck, porcini risotto or mature Parmigiano Reggiano. While captivating with extended decanting today, this is a collector's Barbaresco destined to evolve beautifully for twenty five years or more.