2021 Barbaresco Ovello, Cantina del Pino

Dark, brooding cherry fruit with smoky, earthy complexity. There’s innate power here, lifted by subtle purple floral notes. Ripe, fine but grippy tannins linger on the long finish, suggesting this has tons of potential if you have the patience to wait. Ovello sweeps down to the Tamaro riverbank from an altitude of 300m. East-facing, it’s a relatively cool, well-ventilated vineyard. The resulting wine invariably needs time – indeed, Renato used to begin drinking it only around a decade after harvest.