Released in numbered bottles and only made in the best years, the Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno 2016 Barolo Riserva Cannubi (packaged with a bright red wax capsule) is the clear star of this portfolio. The wine shows deep complexity with a busy collection of fruit, licorice and dried flower aromas. You also get delicate hints of toasted spice and savory tobacco. The mouthfeel remains tapered, lean and polished throughout.

Serio and Battista Borgogno owns one of the steepest vineyards in the heart of Cannubi, with an easterly exposition and the estate's Riserva is a benchmark for the MGA. The wine is fermented, macerated and aged in large Slavonian oak casks, for 52 months. Complex and dark aromas of smoky woodland notes, violet, black cherry and orange peel introduce a dense, firm and dusty palate - as you might expect from a Riserva. It's extracted and tannic yet refined, with refreshing acidity, youthful character and pomegranate fruit. It doesn't lack elegance despite its power and a thick finish. This will develop more savouriness with bottle ageing.