Conterno's 2015 Barolo Cerretta is sensual and inviting, until the firm Nebbiolo tannins kick in. Bright floral and orange zest notes perk up a core of sweet red cherry fruit. Medium in body and beautifully persistent, the Cerretta is positively stellar. Just as it was from barrel, the 2015 is so refined, so alluringly young, that it really does not seem like a Serralunga Barolo at all.

After our tasting of the two Barbera wines, we moved over to 40-hectoliter cask number 101 to get our first taste of Conterno's finished (or nearly finished, as the wine had not been bottled yet) Nebbiolo. The 2015 Barolo Cerretta is influenced by the warm conditions of the vintage with plenty of ripe and succulent fruit, although this vintage differs from the similarly warm 2017 and 2011 harvests in that the 2015 growing season had more moisture locked within the soil. Consequently, this vintage tends to offer cool-climate tannins and structure, giving the wine the ample backbone it needs to carry all those luscious dark nuances. The wine is ripe, profound and makes your mouth salivate. ML

Very Burgundy-like, featuring a silky texture wrapped around cherry, raspberry, earth and tobacco flavors. As this builds on the palate, the dense, muscular tannins remind you this is Barolo. Reticent now but shows promise. Best from 2023 through 2042. BS