Immense in its sensorial complexity, it dispenses notes of geraniums, hibiscus flowers, rose hips and pressed raspberries. Incredible the background that veers in different directions and manifests its power and quality. Full body, smooth tannins perfectly fused into the wine matrix and a warm and enveloping finish of a basically horizontal nature but which does not detract from the grip and precision of the length. Masterpiece in Barbaresco. 3 years of aging in large barrels and one year in bottle before release on the market. Best from 2022.

Underbrush, wild herb and dark-skinned-berry aromas form the nose along with a whiff of camphor. On the firm, structured palate, tightly knit but noble tannins offset dried Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and star anise. Tense and youthfully austere, it needs a few years to unwind. Drink 2022–2027.

Pora is one of Barbaresco's largest vineyards, situated on a southwest-facing slope close to the river where the soils are relatively fertile and loose. Produttori has made a wine from Pora since 1967, and today around 16,500 bottles are produced in vintages when it's made. This 2015 still has a pronounced woody aroma, and while it's mouthilling it manages to retain some elegance. It's obviously youthful: the vanilla- and spice-infused wood flavours dominate and hold your attention, the fruit unable as of yet to punch through. It does have plenty of promise, however, and you could expect the succulent and ripe fruits to hold more sway over the next decade as the wood integrates.

Following the suggestion of Produttori del Barbaresco General Manager Renato Vacca, I am starting off this series of nine Riservas with the 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Pora. This wine is usually the most delicate, slender and ephemeral of this set. However, I can immediately confirm that this is not necessarily the case with this exuberant 2015 vintage. The sunny heat of the growing season has successfully drawn out more fruit weight and intensity in this edition of Pora. The wine overdelivers in terms of aromas, but its streamlined and polished personality follows through to the palate. Those divergent intensity levels will smooth out with more bottle age.

A mix of black cherry, mint, eucalyptus and tar flavors highlight this firmly structured Barbaresco, which nonetheless remains fresh and focused, with a line of dense tannins lifting the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2043.