Barolo Cannubi Riserva

Cured paprika, grilled chicken, a whole spice rack left to smoulder. Red apple adds a flicker of freshness before the leather rolls in. Juicy and sharp on the entry, but the tannin is bone-dry - like chewing on parchment. It's a tough vintage and the wine shows its bruises, but it never fully collapses. Easily the weakest of the lineup, yet still unmistakably in the top tier. Brutal, drying, but not without merit.