The 2016 Barolo Gramolere is an exquisite wine. It's a Barolo that speaks to finesse and class more than anything else. Pulsating tannins drive a core of sweet red fruit, mint, spice and blood orange, with strong mineral accents that keep everything lively. Bright acids and a spine of tannin shape the long, beautifully persistent finish as the wine fleshes out with time in the glass.

From another celebrated vineyard site in Monforte d'Alba (planted to 30-year-old vines), the Giovanni Manzone 2016 Barolo Gramolere shows a degree more intensity and darkness compared to the slightly more streamlined Castelletto. The difference is minimal, but I get a bit more volume and soft fruit on the bouquet here with summer cherry and plum, backed by classic Nebbiolo aromas of ferrous earth and licorice. The Manzone team opts for long skin maceration times lasting up to 40 days, and the wines age in botte and tonneaux. This is your Barolo for a lean cut of steak.