The 2012 Barbaresco Riserva Baluchin is, frankly, a frustrating wine. A sheen of sweet new oak completely masks a core of gorgeous Nebbiolo fruit. The 2012 could have been a fabulous wine. That is not a word I use lightly. It could have been truly fabulous. Instead, super-ripe raspberry, white chocolate, kirsch and hard candy cover the Nebbiolo character. Even so, the 2012 is a pretty wine. And that tells you what the potential was.

Soon to be released, the Cocito 2012 Barbaresco Riserva Baluchin shows a dark brick color not unlike the hue we saw in the 2011 vintage. This was also a hot vintage, driven by dry summer winds that reinforced those high temperatures. Enzio Cocito farms at higher altitudes compared to his peers, and his wines usually show the sharp precision and focus of Nebbiolo. But I'm just not seeing it in this wine. Dried prune and sour cherry build up to gritty, uneven tannins.