Made with certified organic fruit, the Cascina Ca' Rossa 2018 Roero Riserva Mompissano is fine and elegant with wild berry, iris root, iron ore and dusty licorice. Grace and freshness are the wine's best characteristics.

The medium-bodied 2011 Roero Riserva Mompissano is disjointed with hints of oxidation. The bouquet shows aromas of spice, earth and game, with dark fruit, tar and licorice at the back. This Nebbiolo-based wine is aged in Slavonian oak casks for 30 months.

The 2008 Roero Mompissano flows with dark cherries, plums, spices and freshly cut flowers. This vibrant, firm Roero needs another year or two in bottle, but it has tons of intensity and sheer power. It will be absolutely fabulous once the tannins begin to soften a bit. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. Cascina Ca’ Rossa is a bit up and down, especially with their entry-level offerings, but they don’t mess around when it comes to their Roeros. These are some of the finest wines being made in the appellation today. Importer: Vinity Wine Company, Emeryville, CA; tel. (510) 601-6010

The 2007 Roero Mompissano is another fabulous wine from Ca- Rossa. This shows superb richness and density in a bold style for Roero. Ripe, juicy fruit, sweet spices and French oak meld together beautifully in this expressive Roero. The aromas and flavors are just a touch forward, which suggests the Mompissano may be an early maturing wine, but I doubt that will be much of an issue as most of the bottles will have been drunk and enjoyed long before that is an issue. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. I was deeply impressed with these new releases from Ca- Rossa. The Roeros in particular are stunningly beautiful. Importer: Vinity Wine Company, Emeryville, CA; tel. (510) 601-6010

There’s a tiny touch of volatility here that comes forth aromatically as apple cider or mature raspberry. Often those pungent, vertical notes help elevate and define a wine, not necessarily in a negative manner, and that seems to be the case here.——M.L.(9/1/2011)—— 85