During the Summa 2012 at Alois Lageder's Hirschprunn castle in Margreid, I moderated a number of tastings, amongst others with Alberto Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy. A very affable and unpretentious gentleman (the name implies that they made their money as movers transporting loads on donkey's backs), he has in less than a generation turned his family's historical estate in Martinenga, a warm amphitheatre at the foot of Barbaresco's Asili and Rabajà vineyards, into one of the region's most serious players. Although I have almost always preferred the somewhat cooler, more classical vintages like 2006 or 2001, to the warmer expressions from 2007, 2004 or 1997, this tasting served to nail those years in my mind as my personal favourites. In a quick run through the line up before the presentation with Jeff Chilcott, Gresy's Australian cellarmaster, he described the most recent vintages as follows: 2007 is 'silky', 2006 is 'robust', 2005 is 'aromatic' and 2004 is 'round and approachable'. To prove how well their Barbarescos age, the estate decanted a magnum of 1990 Camp Gros to close the show. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick…Comments