Antoniolo Gattinara Le Castelle 2008

The most approachable of Antoniolo's single-vineyard offerings in 2008, Le Castelle leads with generous, forward fruit, inviting and immediate rather than complex. French oak hovers in the background, not overwhelming, but it does clip the finish and soften some of the wine's potential distinction. Sitting alongside its siblings from this estate, it reads as the least defined of the group, lacking the depth and polish those wines carry. That said, it breathes well in the glass and gains ground with time, and the finish settles into something warm and sweet. Worth watching, though expectations should be measured.