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

The entry-level 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Martinenga is quite pretty. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries and spices waft from the glass in this pretty, vinous Nebbiolo. A delicate, fragrant finish rounds things out nicely. Although Langhe Nebbiolo is now a popular wine, Marchesi di Gresy has been bottling their version since 1976, The 2011 is a great introduction to the house style. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015. Marchesi di Gresy is one of the most beautiful estates in Piedmont. Nestled mid-slope within the amphitheater-shaped Martinenga vineyard, the winery provides spectacular views of Barbaresco. Martinenga itself spans a cross section of vineyards that starts at Asili on one end and ends at Rabaja on the other. Not bad. Most of the vineyards are planted with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo, which is the main reason the estate’s wines are typically light to medium in body when they are young. With time in the bottle, the Barbareschi often put on weight, although they remain on the ligher side of things. More recently the estate has undertaken a gradual replanting with the goal of introducing more modern clones. I tasted a wide range of wines during my most recent visit, including a number of older vintages. I was quite taken with the 2003 Barbareschi, which have aged very well despite the mixed reputation of the vintage. Among the Barbareschi, I tend to prefer the Camp Gros, which is aged in cask, over the Gaiun (aged in barrique), as the Camp Gros is usually more finessed with bottle age. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405.

The 2010 Langhe Nebbiolo Martinenga is a great introduction to the house style. This feminine, gracious Nebbiolo emerges from the glass with freshly cut roses, sweet red fruit, mint and spices. It is a quintessential Nebbiolo from this part of the Barbaresco zone. A short fermentation emphasizes perfume and fruit, while the cool year gives the wine much of its structure. This is flat-out gorgeous, especially considering the price. Readers will be hard pressed to find a red wine from anywhere else in the world - much less a prestigious region - that delivers this much personality and sheer character for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016. Marchesi di Gresy excels with elegant, classy wines that showcase the greatness of the estate's vineyards in Barbaresco, Treiso and Asti. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the 2007 Barbaresco Gaiun, but I will report on that wine as soon as I have an opportunity to taste it. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405

The 2009 Langhe Nebbiolo Martinenga, from one of Barbaresco’s most famous sites, is weightless and ethereal in its dried red cherries, flowers and minerals. Di Gresy makes this Nebbiolo to be an accessible, early drinking wine, and while they have certainly achieved that, it almost pains me to think that fruit of this quality is being used to make a wine of such simplicity. With another few months of aging and a little more cask, my guess is this could be a far more interesting wine and still be approachable young. The Nebbiolo Martinenga sees mostly steel and a dash of large neutral oak. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014. Marchesi di Gresy is best known for their Barbarescos, which are typically some of the best in the region. As good as those wines can be, the estate also releases a number of fine entry-level bottlings. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405