2005 Massimo Rivetti Barbaresco Riserva "Serraboella"

Happy Wine Wednesday!  To help celebrate this fine mid-week wine day, I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Massimo Rivetti Barbaresco Riserva "Serraboella" a nice red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, which you guessed right, is made from 100% Nebbiolo!  I just received this wine today at the office, having ordered a couple bottle last week from Wines Till Sold Out.  Now I'll be the first to admit, I'm somewhat hit or miss on Nebbiolo-based wines, as there are some Barolos that I find amazing and others that I can't stand, though the odds of me liking them definitely increases with age, particularly once a wine reaches the 10-year mark.

This wine is a deep ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is very inviting, with aromas of tart cherry over some nice earthy notes of smoke, tar and cedar.  The taste takes be back to Italy, with some wonderful flavors of anise intermingled with cherry and candied plum at the outset, which quickly transitions to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The bright tannins support a velvety mouthfeel and an exceptionally long, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a fine example of the wine that was a descent value at $26.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic northern Italian wild mushroom risotto with some lovely shaved asiago on top.  The lovely fruit notes perfectly complement the earthiness of the risotto, but it would also pair well with classic pasta dishes with a variety of sauces or a lovely grilled steak.  Cin cin!