Conterno Fantino Barolo Vigna Pressenda Castelletto 2020

Castelletto marked a new chapter for Conterno Fantino when the estate acquired its first parcel there in 2013 — a site sitting north of the winery, between the hamlet of Perno and the La Villa vineyard, on sandy soils that consistently give more power and structure than the surrounding sector. It sits alongside Ginestra and Mosconi as the third pillar of the estate's single-vineyard Barolo range, aged in barriques in the same modern, oak-forward style that defines the house, with tiny production hovering around 6,500 to 6,600 bottles a vintage. Where Mosconi tends toward brooding power, Castelletto Vigna Pressenda has repeatedly been singled out by critics as the most delicate and perfumed of the three — Antonio Galloni has called certain vintages "the most ethereal" in the entire portfolio, praising a "crystalline purity" distinct from its siblings.

The result is Barolo of real finesse: wild cherry, long-stemmed rose, and candied or blood orange lead the nose, layered with cinnamon, allspice, mint, cedar, and a touch of crushed autumn leaves, with critics repeatedly praising the wine's floral lift and polish. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied and tightly structured, with fine-grained, well-integrated tannins and steady minerality carrying through a long, complex finish.