Aldo Conterno Nebbiolo Il Favot Langhe 2008

Pale ruby with a bright, clear rim. Red cherry, dried herbs, mint and a saline mineral edge on the nose, with vanilla and resinous oak pushing through. On the palate, the fruit is decent but somewhat flat, sweet-fruited in style yet lacking the definition you'd want from Conterno nebbiolo. The new French barriques (100% new, 18 months) leave an unmistakable drying mark on the finish, nudging this firmly into international territory. Worth noting for context: this is the one Conterno wine that bypasses the large Slavonian casks used for the Barolos, and that divergence in philosophy shows. Drink now.