Azienda Vitivinicola Damilano Damilano Marghe Nebbiolo 2023 750ml

Like walking into a kitchen where someone's about to slide a cherry pie into the oven - all that ripe, sweet fruit essence hanging in the air. But this isn't dessert wine territory - it's got that classic Nebbiolo swagger, lifting the rich fruit with the kind of energy that turns a good party into a great one.

Aromas of ripe cherries and red plums with aged citrus peel, licorice and cloves. Notes of bark and nutmeg, too. Medium- to full-bodied, firm and chalky with crunchy tannins and vivid dark fruit. Dry and a little tight in the finish. Drink now.

The Damilano 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo Marghe has a soft approach with ripe fruit, cooked cherry and strawberry. Those sunny tones are offset by spice, toasted cumin seed and hint of rusty iron. The full package feels precise and sharp in terms of mouthfeel, and that impression is backed by fine tannins. This is a 70,000-bottle production.

Though not expressive in flavor, offering muted cherry, berry, earth and wild herbs, this is dense and almost chewy, with pliable tannins. Compact finish. Drink now through 2027. 5,800 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.