Alessandria's 2017 Barolo is a gorgeous wine to drink now and over the next decade. Crushed flowers, spice and sweet red berry fruit grace a Barolo that impresses with its translucence and finesse. All the elements are so nicely balanced. Beams of tannin extend the mid-palate and finish nicely. The straight Barolo has been one of the under the radar gems of Piedmont for years, as it is again in 2017. This is very nicely done.

The Gianfranco Alessandria 2017 Barolo comes from a hot and dry vintage, but there are little evident signs of this. The wine reveals tart cherry and plum, with beautiful shadings of tar, licorice and smoke. You feel a hint of the 14.5% alcohol content although it is well integrated into the mid-weight texture displayed here. The wine opens readily (I came back to retaste my open bottle about six hours later), but that touch of heat and those tight 2017 tannins merit a food pairing rich in cream or butter when your bottle has completed its evolution.

There are lifted aromas of tar in the 2017 Barolo of asphalt, dried raspberry, and rose petal. The palate is ripe through the mid-palate, with cherry lozenge, dried apricot, and dusty earth. There is a refreshment within the ripe red fruits that is quaffable, and ready for drink now or over the next 10 or so years. Drink 2021-2034.

Aromas of toasted oak, mocha and camphor emerge from the glass. The tightly knit palate offers espresso, licorice and hints of baked plum alongside assertive tannins. Drink after 2024.