2015 Barbaresco Rio Sordo Riserva Produttori del Barbaresco

This wine usually falls somewhere in the middle of the Riserva continuum (starting with the most lithe and elegant wine and ending with the most powerful) presented by Produttori del Barbaresco in this knockout series of nine single-vineyard expressions. The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is another personal favorite. This group of Ovello, Rio Sordo, Asili and Rabajà (that sweet spot of neighboring vineyard sites in Barbaresco) is especially profound in 2015, striking a careful balance between elegance against power. The Rio Sordo offers tight and sharp fruit complete with a little tannic pinch or crunch on the close. Production is 13,333 bottles.

This is lush and harmonious, laced with cherry, plum, licorice, iron and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. There is also a verticality here, with lively acidity and dense, well-mannered tannins creating support and depth. A saline note graces the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2045. -B.S.

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo comes across as quite powerful and dense today. A few months ago it was more refined, but today I get the impression of a wine that is growing in bottle. As always, the Rio Sordo is a Barbaresco of textural suaveness and early appeal, relative to the more structured wines in this range. Spice, new leather, tobacco and cedar meld into the supple, resonant finish.

Dark-skinned berry, camphor, rose and crushed stone aromas shape the nose along with a whiff of pipe tobacco. The aromas carry on to the structured, full-bodied palate along with juicy Marasca cherry and licorice. Firm, fine-grained tannins provide support.

At the southern end of the commune of Barbaresco lies Rio Sordo, known for producing powerful wines. First produced by Produttori in 1978, this is right on the mark, with a denseness and muscularity that makes it stand out in the lineup. It has an inky, meaty depth which seems to have absorbed the wood into it so that it's not so pronounced, overlaid with plenty of complex, savoury damp earth character. This is less pure and ripe in feel that the Pora, and although the acidity still has presence, it's softer, more gentle. This is a smooth, dense, intense wine that you will want to sink into. 10,000 bottles produced. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.