2013 Barbaresco Pora Riserva Produttori del Barbaresco

This is the first wine tasted in a lineup of nine single-vineyard Riserva Barabrescos made by Produttori del Barbaresco in 2013. The tasting progression goes from most streamlined to most powerful and complex. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Pora starts off this happy continuum with exuberant but simple fruit layers of dried raspberry, wild cherry and plum. The wine reveals pretty color intensity and saturation. It shows mild acidity and a light tannic structure for a more accessible and immediate drinking approach. The Pora vineyard has fertile soils that are rich in nitrogen. There is less limestone here compared to the Montestefano and Montefico vineyards. Fruit from Pora tends to ripen faster than other sites. This was in June 2017. 2020-2035.

The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is soft, pliant and enveloping. In many vintages, the Pora can be a bit light. Not in 2013. The wine is rich and deeply textured, with layers of fruit that continue to build with time in the glass. The tannins are present, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. This is an especially powerful, brooding edition of the Pora. Although impressive today, the 2013 will drink well for decades to come. 2023 - 2043.

A rich, cherry- and floral-scented red, effusive in aroma, with the core of cherry prevailing on the palate. Though fleshy, this gives way to firm tannins that line the lingering aftertaste. Inviting and full of energy, so decant now or wait. Best from 2023 through 2035.-B.S.