La Spinona's 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Bricco Faset will delight readers who enjoy old-school wines that favor aromatic and flavor complexity over fruit. Smoke, leather, tobacco, sage, licorice, pine and menthol all infuse the 2013 with tons of character. Brooding and dense, with tons of pure power, the 2013 has so much to offer. It's muscle over finesse here, but there is no shortage of personality, that much is clear.

This manages to deliver a resounding sense of ripeness without being obtuse. Notes of fruit cake, spearmint, dried cedar, licorice and tar are all up for grabs. Full-bodied and foursquare with muscular tannins and good acidity detail. Drink now.

Rose, camphor, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on this vibrant red along with chopped mint. The mint note carries on to the linear, racy palate with sour cherry, pomegranate and star anise alongside firm acidity. Assertive, fine-grained tannins leave a drying finish. Drink 2020-2025.