Oddero Barolo 2018

A standout from a vintage the Odderos approached with caution — so much so that they folded all their single-vineyard fruit (save Brunate and a Vigna Rionda Riserva) into this straight Barolo, drawing from Fiasco, Bricco Chiesa, Capalot, Bussia, Villero, Rocche di Castiglione, and Monvigliero. The result is something special. Dried rose, exotic spice, and bright red cherry on the nose, with vivid acidity giving the wine an almost perfumed lift. The structure is firm but not severe — taut tannins, good length, and a freshness that keeps everything alive. One of the more compelling under-the-radar buys of the 2018 vintage, and not one to pass up.