Az. Agr. Azelia di Scavino Luigi Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2019 750ml

Extremely aromatic with strawberries, flowers, and stones, following through to a full body with layers of fruit and round tannins that go on and on. Rich and opulent, yet polished and toned. A generous young Barolo. Drink in 2025.

Decadent cherry and currant aromas signal this vibrant, complex red, whose core of ripe fruit defines the palate, with supporting roles from eucalyptus, leather, licorice, tar and mineral. The tannins are dense and alive, while the finish goes on and on. Best from 2026 through 2050. 300 cases made, 195 cases imported. (Bruce Sanderson)

Cerretta is one of my favorite sites in Serralunga d’Alba because it consists of vines wrapped around a hilltop with various exposures. For that reason, Cerretta wines can vary widely from producer to producer. The Azelia 2019 Barolo Cerretta has dark fruit and spice, but the bouquet is mostly colored by flinty mineral tones, smoke and pencil shaving. It offers terrific balance and also manages some softly perfumed notes of violet and blue flower that you don’t get in the other wines. It sees 50 days of extended maceration and 30 months of aging in large oak casks. This is a very limited production of 3,200 bottles.

Perfumed with sliced raspberries, violets and strawberries as well as hints of orange. It’s medium-bodied with firm and fresh tannins that are chewy. Bright acidity. Energetic wine. Drink after 2027. (James Suckling)

A lean, sinewy style, this red suggests cherry and strawberry fruit shaded by mint, cumin and tar accents. Though energetic, the finish is currently dominated by dense tannins. Requires patience. Best from 2027 through 2045. 400 cases made, 120 cases imported. (Bruce Sanderson)