Barbaresco, Punset 2016 75cl

Campo Quadro is Punset's Barbaresco Riserva, and the 2016 comes from what many rate as the finest Piedmont vintage in a generation. This is Nebbiolo with everything in place — perfume, power and the poise to age for decades.

Punset, based in Neive, was one of the first estates in the region to farm organically, a conviction Marina Marcarino has held to since the 1980s. Campo Quadro is their top single-vineyard cru, and the Riserva bottling means extended ageing before release. The 2016 growing season was near-perfect — a long, even ripening that gave wines of both concentration and freshness, and this bottle captures that balance.

Expect a translucent garnet and a spellbinding nose: dried rose, red cherry, tar, liquorice, sweet tobacco and a savoury note of truffle and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied but intense, with the firm, fine-grained tannins that mark serious Nebbiolo and a long, mineral, savoury finish. There is real complexity here, unfolding slowly in the glass.

Approachable now with a generous decant, but this is built to reward patience — it will keep evolving for fifteen years or more. At around £70 for a top-cru Riserva from the great 2016 vintage, it is a compelling buy for anyone who loves this grape.

How to Serve

Serve at 16-18°C in a large Burgundy glass. Decant two hours ahead when young; the aromatics reward the air.

Where to Drink It

Sartoria on Savile Row for a refined Piedmontese dinner. Bocca di Lupo in Soho for regional plates. Locanda Locatelli in Marylebone for an occasion.

Food Pairings

Serve with truffle risotto or slow-braised beef cheek, where its savoury depth truly sings.