This is floral and fragrant with sour cherries, spiced orange peel and bark. Medium-bodied, firm and textured with chalky tannins and a juicy mid-palate. Spiced, red-fruited finish. Better after 2025.

Here's a Barbaresco from one of the prettiest vineyard sites in the appellation, with near 360-degree views of the surrounding hillsides. The Basarin vineyard always catches those last fading beams of golden sunlight as the day comes to a close. The soils are of marine origin. The 2016 Barbaresco Basarin Vigna Gianmaté offers a particularly savory and earthy bouquet with notes of dusty soil followed by wet stone and grilled herb. The wine does not lack for fruit, as generous aromas of black cherry and blackberry add softness and aromatic intensity. The tannins stand out here for their firmness and tightness. I imagine that a rare steak filet with a wild mushroom gravy would be perfect for this one. Some 10,000 bottles were made.

The 2007 Barbaresco Basarin Vigna Gianmate is a pretty wine with up-front red fruit, spices, tar and flowers, all of which come together in a soft, feminine style. The Vigna Gianmate is a supple, forward Barbaresco that is likely to offer its finest drinking relatively early. Sweet, perfumed notes linger on the round, enveloping finish. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2017. Fratelli Giacosa has been a somewhat inconsistent producer over the years; the best of these wines prove the estate is capable of doing excellent work. Importer: Bedford International, Larchmont, NY; tel. (914) 833-2725

The 2005 Barbaresco Basarin Vigna Gianmate is a pretty Barbaresco full of bright red fruits and flowers underpinned by lively acidity and firm tannins. This fresh, mid-weight wine needs a few years for the tannins to melt away, but it should develop into an attractive, feminine wine with some cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. Importer: Bedford International, Larchmont, NY; tel. (914) 833-2725