Bergadano Langhe Nebbiolo, 2008

I paid $120 for a case of this wine from Binny's in Chicago about a decade ago, and the wine continues to reward me. Good when it was young, it has continued to improve in the bottle and now offers special qualities that I would expect from a Barolo.

Medium light garnet with orangish tints at the rim. Clear, bright and moderately intense. Exuberant scents of fresh cherries, roses and sweet spices that grow and change shape as the wine airs. The same on the palate along with tones of black licorice and minerals on a long and satisfying finish. Tannic grip reminiscent of Barolo along with substantial acidity that will keep the wine going and growing for many years. The grapes come from the Pugnane Vineyard in Monforte d'Alba from vines planted on clay soil in 1950 and 1997.