2016 - Pira Luigi Barolo Serralunga

The 2016 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba draws its fruit from the comune, or village, of the appellation known for the power and depth of its wines. This pretty rendition offers deep, dark fruit with wild cherry and plum in leading roles. There is a vibrant supporting cast of mineral aromas, terracotta, licorice and dark spice. This wine is beautifully balanced, mirroring the best qualities of this classic vintage. Some 13,000 bottles were made.

The 2016 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba is a gorgeous entry-level offering from Pira that shows the muscle that is so typical of Serralunga. Rose petal, mint, dried cherry, licorice anise and blood orange infuse the 2016 with tremendous aromatic and flavor complexity. Readers looking for an affordable, high-class Barolo will find that here. In a word: superb. The straight Barolo is a blend of lower-lying slopes of Marenca and Margheria, Rivette and Sorano, which makes its debut in this bottling in 2016.