2020 Aldo Conterno Nebbiolo Langhe Il Favot

Juicy with pure Nebbiolo fruit, offering a dusting of earth and spices and a waft of floral and citrus aromatics, the ’11 Langhe Nebbiolo from Aldo Conterno is a delicious early-drinking alternative to this august producer’s Barolo. This calling card from Aldo Conterno derives from vines aged twenty years or younger, and unsurprisingly, Conterno’s Langhe Nebbiolo looks, smells, feels and tastes more like a Baby Barolo than like a Nebbiolo d’Alba. Rain-spattered violets and lavender, fistfuls of plums and red currants, a dusting of chestnut, sinuous tannins and fantastic density make this wine a winner--and one whose lush mouth-feel makes it drink like a very approachable, barrique-aged Barolo at a fraction of the price.