Gianluigi Lano, Barbaresco “Rocche Massalupo”

When it comes to a “luxury brand” like Barbaresco, savvy drinkers desperately want the inside track. If that’s you, read the following closely. In the year since we first offered Gianluigi Lano’s magnificent “Rocche Massalupo” Barbaresco, we’ve actually watched firsthand as the sommelier community shifted it from a hush-hush collectible to a can’t-keep-stocked sensation. First, a coveted by-the-glass honor at The French Laundry. Next, a luminous star turn at San Francisco’s Quince/Cotogna/Verjus mini-empire. And now, it’s making waves in a multitude of LA hotspots. All this, while our own subscribership has graciously (and voraciously) inhaled each once-per-annum allocation. The explanation for all this hysteria isn’t complicated: With intense perfume, concentrated soil character, and unhurried winemaking, each bottling is an exceptional expression of the hallowed Barbaresco terroir. I encourage everyone to uncork one of these concentrated and unabashedly enjoyable 2017 beauties immedi