For anyone who knows and loves Barolo, the Borgogno surname rings out. There are several well-known Borgogno clans, and to complicate matters further, most of them are clustered around the famed “Cannubi” vineyard and bottle a vineyard-designate wine from that site. Virna Borgogno’s family has owned vineyards in her appellation’s namesake town of Barolo since 1720, and she has quietly yet consistently turned out some of the greatest-value wines in the region since she began bottling under her own name in 2001. “Noi” is crafted from fruit sourced from multiple vineyards in the village of Barolo, and in the spectacular 2019 vintage, Virna nailed it: this is a pure, pretty, accessible young Barolo you can enjoy now, and enjoy it you will. Decant it a good half hour before service and let the festivities begin!

This is considered the estate’s “base” Barolo and is crafted from fruit harvested from an assortment of estate-owned vineyards in the towns of Barolo and Novello, some of which contain plantings dating as far back as 1970. The wine is produced in a “traditional” manner, although maceration on skins during fermentation lasts about 10-12 days (compared to more than a month a generation ago). The wine is aged for 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks and transferred briefly to stainless steel tanks before bottling. It’s a classic, perfumed Barolo through and through, with relatively ripe tannins in the 2019 vintage. Its garnet-red core moves to pink and a slight hint of orange at the rim. The aromas are bright and floral, with lots of juicy red raspberry, cherry, wild strawberry, blood orange peel, rose petals, black pepper, leather, and underbrush. Decant it before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees and pair with braised meats or wild mushroom risotto for best results—or truffles, if you can get your hands on some!