The Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards of Piedmont in Italy can expect "elegant and powerful" wines from their 2010 crop.

This is according to Wine Spectator, which claims that the region saw a cool and wet growing season, along with localised hail at points during April, which reduced flowering somewhat.

However, the late-ripening Nebbiolo grape from which Barolo and Barbaresco are made responded well to the warm, dry weather that followed in September and October.

"It was a vintage like 20 years ago. The major difference in quality depended on the vineyard exposure, with south facing being the best, how the grower worked in the vineyard and how much you green harvested," Gaia Gaja of the Gaja vineyard told the publication.

For those who want to try Piedmont produce without paying for a premium Barolo or Barbaresco, wine critic John Foy recently suggested Roero wines.

Writing in the New Jersey Star & Leger, Mr Foy noted that Roero wines may lack complexity and aging potential, but they offer "pure fruit flavours and immediate gratification".