With the 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo Martinenga you get a peek view into the future because fruit from this same vineyard will be used in the 2012 Barbaresco. The wine shows solid layers of wild berry, tar and licorice, all presented with informality and the good cheer of a youthful Langhe Nebbiolo. But the quality of the fruit is vibrant and lively so this bodes well for the future. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. (Not yet released) Very few people can match the energy and enthusiasm of Alberto di Gresy, one of the true gentlemen of Italian wine. Of his various holdings, none is more impressive than the 11-hectare Martinenga cru. It opens like a veritable amphitheater of grapevines with the winery positioned where an imaginary orchestra pit could be. This stunning vineyard is characterized by south-facing exposures and blue marl soils for the production of some of the area’s finest and most elegant wines. If I were to draw a list of the ten most beautiful vineyards in Italy, Martinenga would surely be among them. Importer: Dalla Terra Winery Direct, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405