2021 Giordano - Barbaresco Asili (750ml)

Few estates in Barbaresco can claim the depth of roots that Luigi Giordano possesses. Founded by Giovanni Giordano in the 1930s, the winery made a defining leap when Giovanni's son Luigi began vinifying and bottling his own fruit in 1958  — a bold act of independence at a time when the Barbaresco appellation itself was still being established. Today the estate is a fifth-generation family endeavor, guided by Luigi, his daughter Laura, and grandson Matteo, with holdings in some of the appellation's most hallowed crus: Asili, Montestefano, and the monopole Cavanna.

Asili is the jewel. Its amphitheater formation with southeast exposure brings cooler afternoon temperatures that allow phenolic maturation to stretch late into October, particularly in cooler years.  Light-gray Sant'Agata Fossili marls mixed with sandy deposits generate wines of the utmost fineness and elegance  — this is Barbaresco at its most perfumed and precise. Giordano farms a small, half-hectare parcel here. In the cellar, grapes undergo a 20–25 day maceration in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by aging in large 25–50 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels averaging 25 years old  — a deliberately gentle approach that keeps the wine's character in the foreground.

The 2021 is a beautiful vintage expression. A fragrant floral nose of violets and roses with baking spices and vanilla gives way to succulent red fruit — cherry and rhubarb — a glycerine mid-palate, and a long peppery finish with balanced acidity.  High-toned wild berries and sweet spice on the nose lead to a super pretty palate of fine tannins, lush cherry flavors, oolong tea, pepper and earth on the finish