The 2011 Barbaresco Ronchi is deeply penetrating and beautiful with a bold framework of red fruit, spice, tar and licorice. Albino Rocca’s wines are always distinctive (in part because of a unique oak regime that sees Austrian and German barrel) as they are elegant and compelling. This wine in particular awards a sense of fullness and completeness that is not as easy to find in the warm 2011 vintage. Drink: 2016-2028. Various American importers, including: De Grazia Import, www.marcdegrazia.com; Robert Houde Wines, www.roberthoudewines.com; Classic Wine Imports, www.classicwineimports.com; Verity Wine Partners, www.veritywines.com; Sour Grapes, www.sourgrapeswine.com; Free Run Wine Merchants, www.freerunwinemerchants.com

Albino Rocca has also done an excellent job with the 2010 Barbaresco Ronchi. This is a stunning and strikingly beautiful wine that evolves and shifts with each swirl of the glass. At first you pick up on the brightness of the fruit, then the warmth of its leather and tobacco aromas. Lastly, the wine imparts a beautiful string of licorice, tar, cola and dried mint. This is one of my favorite Barbarescos in 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. No known American importer.

The 2009 Barbaresco Ronchi is a step up from the Ovello. Dark cherries, flowers, spices and crushed rocks meld together nicely. The Ronchi has a level of textural depth and power allied to a sense of vibrancy that is hugely appealing. At the same time, the essentially mid-weight style of the year at the estate is evident throughout. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. I was shocked and saddened to learn that proprietor Angelo Rocca recently passed away in a crash involving his own light airplane. I visited with Rocca in late August, just as the Moscato was coming in. Rocca embodied the spirit of the self-made Piemontese grower who took a sleepy family-run winery and turned it into a world-class estate in just one generation. He will be deeply missed. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887