“So what do you think of the 2021 Barolo vintage?” I was asked several times in Piedmont last week, mostly from curious winemakers who were eager to get feedback on the fruits of their labor. Who can blame them? Between the frosts, water stress, heat spells and hail storms, each year is a parade of bullets to dodge … and they’re not always coming at you in the right order.
“A few weeks ago, we had hail,” Stefano Monchiero of the small Castiglione Falletto family estate, Monchiero, told me as we overlooked the Rocche di Castiglione cru. Their vines were already covered with hail nets after their winter pruning, and they were also preparing for spring frosts, too.
“So you are having hail and then frosts?” I asked in astonishment.
“Yes, and then the problem with the sun in the summer. It gets intense and you have to be careful that it doesn’t burn the grapes.”
Perhaps the real reason there is such giddiness about debuting the 2021 vintage is because of how unremarkable the weather was that year. This was a gift, and producers were determined to seize it. Now, we are getting our first look at what many feel will be one for the ages.
So How Are the Wines?
Let’s be honest, it is still too early to tell. Five years after release always feels like a better time to levy judgment, and 2021 is particularly structured. In fact, according to my collaborator, wine buyer Anna Savino of Barolo Wine Club, some Barolo producers were preferring to pour their 2020s just a week before at Piedmont’s most important exhibition of wine, Grandi Langhe. Speculation was that the 2021s still needed a few months of calming down to be properly tasted.
At Nebbiolo Prima, just a week later, we went for it anyway.
The good news, as always, is that this region has such a deep bench of superstar winemakers, so you can find excellent results any vintage. With these youthful 2021s, I found myself splitting a lot of hairs at this early stage, and you will too, but there were several wines that immediately stood out for their grace, finesse and character. I imagine for every one of these wines, there were four or five others that were too closed and tight to say much at this stage, but which will flourish in the future. Such is the peril of assessing Nebbiolo when it is not ready to divulge secrets yet.
3 Thoughts on 2021 Barolo
- Tension – While the prevailing style of Barolo and the climate conditions of the region are leading to more open, less austere wines, this is still Barolo we are talking about. No other Italian wine guards its youthful secrets as closely as Barolo does. If there is one word to describe 2021’s wines, it is tension. There is a lot to unpack with these wines. I think it is safe to say, however, that the secrets with 2021 seem to be more evocative, alluring and better-kept than those of the rather forward 2020s. Whether that translates into longer aging potential or superior wines is not a generalization I’m willing to entertain.
- Alcohol – If there was one element that catches my attention most in Barolo these days, it is alcohol. Anything below 14% is increasingly rare these days, and some can clock in at 15%. But this number matters less than how well the alcohol is integrated into the wine. One whiff and you can largely tell where this is going. Some wines lead with cherries, roses and mushrooms on the nose; others lead with alcohol. The aromas are fundamentally important to revealing the promise of the wine within. Of the Barolo that smelled primarily of alcohol, there wasn’t a single one that tasted balanced on the palate. With time, these wines might resolve some of the imbalance, but it was something that made these tastings a challenge at times.
- Commune Identity – It is remarkable to me how difficult it is to fit Barolo, its various communes, and its MGAs into a neat and tidy box. Generalizations run wild on this place, and I’ve come largely not to trust them. Yes, Verduno and Serralunga d’Alba have a unique character all their own, enough so that a novice taster should notice those differences. But there is so much variety to La Morra, Barolo, Novello and even Monforte d’Alba that I think we need to be careful with our assumptions.
Navigate the 2021 Barolo Report
The 25 Barolo wines that follow were the standouts to me: each one tantalized with the promise of a future form I wanted to encounter. With a high degree of confidence, I think they’ll deliver.
A similar tasting report on the 2022 Barbaresco wines will be coming soon.
- 2021 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
- 2021 Bovio Barolo del Comune di La Morra
- 2021 Bricco Carlina Barolo Castello
- 2021 Cascina Sòt di Sanso Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba
- 2021 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis (Top Wine)
- 2021 Diego Conterno Barolo Le Coste di Monforte
- 2021 Diego Morra Barolo del Comune di Verduno (Top Wine)
- 2021 E. Pira & Figli-Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi
- 2021 Ettore Germano Barolo Cerretta
- 2021 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo Bussia
- 2021 Franco Conterno Barolo Panerole
- 2021 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero
- 2021 G.B. Burlotto “Aclivi” Barolo
- 2021 G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose (Top Wine)
- 2021 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia (Top Wine)
- 2021 Giovanni Rosso Barolo
- 2021 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Bussia
- 2021 Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda (Top Wine)
- 2021 Marcarini Barolo La Serra
- 2021 Mario Gagliasso Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata
- 2021 Mauro Marengo Barolo Ravera
- 2021 Monchiero Barolo Montanello
- 2021 Parusso Barolo Bussia
- 2021 Reverdito Barolo
- 2021 Sordo Giovanni Barolo Perno
About Our Ratings
★★★★★ – The Top Tier
★★★★ 3/4 – A Thrilling Wine
★★★★ 1/2 – Solid and Recommended
★★★★ 1/4 – Average
★★★★ – Indistinctive
< ★★★★ – No Point in Writing About It
Learn more about the philosophy behind these ratings.
Verduno
Barolo’s northernmost commune, and home to the great vineyard of Monvigliero. I think Verduno has the most unique identity of the communes, as exemplified by these light, elegant, massively aromatic wines.
2021 Diego Morra Barolo del Comune di Verduno – Top Wine
I had the good fortune of visiting Diego Morra at his Verduno winery shortly after the Nebbiolo Prima, and we walked around the Monvigliero vineyard discussing its unique properties. In the blind tasting at ALBEISA headquarters a few days before, his version of Monvigliero was the standout. A subsequent re-tasting at the winery showed me that silky tannins are the true hallmark of this very special vineyard.
Yet it was this wine (★★★★★) — a blend of fruit from Breri, Massara and Boscatto MGA — that stole my heart from the very instant its profound aromas touched my nose. Driven by gorgeous aromas of red fruit, leather, orange blossom, roses and mint, it is among the most generous and profusely aromatic wines in the 2021 Barolo vintage. With patient acidity and measured tannins, it speaks more broadly about Verduno and that is beautiful in its own way. Perhaps the Monvigliero is the more complex wine once the story is told in subsequent years, but this is among the most elegant and streamlined Barolo in the vintage.
2021 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero
Another exceptional Verduno producer is Fratelli Alessandria, which was established in 1870. I’ve always liked how graceful and silky their wines are, and so I was not surprised to see their Monvigliero (★★★★★) revealed in this tasting as one of the wines with my highest marks.
This Barolo feels a little more lifted and tart than Diego Morra’s Monvigliero, and there is also a savory streak in the aromas that I found compelling. It’s a bit of a conservative wine right now — not closed, not tight, but a little guarded. Yet its balance of fruit, its momentous acidity and artful tannins all lead to exceptional balance. This wine holds a lot of promise for down the road.
2021 G.B. Burlotto “Aclivi” Barolo
G.B. Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero is among the most sought-after wines in the world, in part because of this esteemed house’s impressive history, but also because of the wizardry of current winemaker Fabio Alessandria (the great-great-grandson of G.B. Burlotto). “Aclivi” is the estate’s tribute to Verduno as a whole, a blend of vines — some old, some new — in Monvigliero as well as a triad of vineyards beneath the village: Neirane, Boscatto and Rocche dell’Olmo.
I found this wine (★★★★ 3/4) to be very early in its development, and it was difficult to fully tease apart its beautiful details. There were subtle minty streaks through its aromas, and a beautiful interplay of red fruits. I could sense how evenly balanced everything was, even if it felt like the tertiary tones were a bit in hiding. The wine is clearly very focused and compact, with those silky and active Verduno tannins and a beautiful minerality on the finish. I have a feeling this wine is still a few years away from showing its true colors, but could eclipse all others given that balance.
La Morra
La Morra’s advantages lie in its varied elevations. Higher vineyards are now benefiting from wind exposure and cooler nights, which allow for enhanced freshness. The best La Morra wines to me are fragrant and floral.
2021 Bovio Barolo del Comune di La Morra
The Bovio-Boschiazzo families are two-fold icons in La Morra: one, for their elegant red wines, and two, for their history as restauranteurs. It was actually their perfectly perched Ristorante Bovio that prompted them to make wine in the first place, not the other way around. (Ironically, after they closed the restaurant early last year, it was bought by esteemed winemaker Roberto Conterno and reopened as Belsit in Langa).
Now fully involved in wine, the family is marking the 2021 vintage by relabeling their standard-bearer Barolo as a Barolo del Comune di La Morra to better promote their home town and the gorgeous fruit they harvest from it. The wine (★★★★★) has always been a blend of two La Morra vineyards — roughly 80% Annunziata and 20% Rochettevino — and the trend of adopting the commune designation for such wines is a good one, as it further defines the territory for us obsessives.
The 2021 vintage is very open and suggestive, just a beautiful wine that mingles the richness of the vintage with the heightened aromatics of the commune. I could have lingered on the distinct roses- and truffle-like scents for hours. The palate presence is expansive, and still highly tannic, but with air and time it should emerge beautifully in the coming years.
2021 Marcarini Barolo La Serra
One of the real joys of Nebbiolo Prima was getting to know some of the estates and their wines better. Marcarini is an estate I had tasted long ago, and I was impressed with a handful of their wines, especially a pre-phylloxera Dolcetto d’Alba that I am including in my forthcoming book. The Barolo La Serra (★★★★ 3/4) comes from one of the highest elevation vineyards in the DOCG, and this height and exposure to cooler air currents should prove beneficial in future vintages. The 2021 Barolo La Serra felt extremely focused, balance and promising, with a semi-stern feeling of bitter red fruits, black licorice and cocoa edges, and an amazing juiciness to lend it momentum on the palate.
2021 Mario Gagliasso Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata
This Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata (★★★★ 3/4) from Mario Gagliasso was a pleasant introduction to a third-generation La Morra winery that I admittedly did not know about (sometimes a blind tasting frees you up to make such discoveries). Of all the wines tasted, this one seemed to be as straight-down-the-middle as it gets, with classic aromas you could easily identify as Barolo from miles away: black cherries, black licorice, rose and mushroom. On the palate, everything felt correctly balanced with fine, alert tannins giving enough space for the acidity to be quenching and satisfying. There is something to be said for such a wine: “Here is Barolo. This is what it ought to taste like. Now go explore its many variations.” Look for a First-Taste Guide to Barolo coming in the future here on Opening a Bottle.
Barolo
The heart of the zone, and the commune with the most pedigree for obvious reasons. The headlining acts here are vineyards of massive historical importance, none more so than Cannubi.
2021 G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose – Top Wine
Great winemakers shine no matter what the vintage is. So it stands to reason that the producer behind my No. 2 wine of the year last year — G.D. Vajra, with the 2020 version of this wine — would have something to say about 2021.
Indeed, of Vajra’s seven 2021 Barolo wines, Coste di Rose (★★★★★) seems to be the most fluent communicator in youth. Its generosity might be attributed to the vineyard’s sandy soils, which lend it a lean frame from which decadent aromas and flavors can hang from. There is an amazing strength here, but it is lithe and precise, offering wonderful sensations akin to red tea, raspberry, graham cracker and a touch of forest mushrooms. Compared to 2020, I feel like this Coste di Rose has a bit more power, a bit more aging potential, but that comment really feels like splitting hairs. Simply put: this wine consistently hits the high notes.
2021 E. Pira & Figli-Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi
Every commune has its iconic vineyard, and in the case of Barolo itself, that MGA is undoubtedly Cannubi, a long ridge of south-facing vines. There are actually five sub zones of Cannubi — each their own MGA — so when you see only “Cannubi” on the label, you know it is from the heart of the hill.
Chiara Boschis is one of Barolo’s most celebrated veteran winemakers — this being her 31st vintage (she is also often credited as the first female lead winemaker in the Langhe). This wine (★★★★ 3/4) stood out in the blind tasting for its sense of direction and focus. I appreciated how its aromas fused together Nebbiolo’s botanical and earthy elements seamlessly, with just a tinge of smokiness, and how the lean lines of acidity and precise tannins led to a classic Barolo finish. Once revealed to me as Cannubi, I couldn’t help but wonder if what is said about Cannubi — “the most Barolo vineyard of all” — accounted for that classic feeling.
2021 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo Cannubi
“Storied” feels like an understatement with the brilliant estate of Francesco Rinaldi, which dates back to 1870, and is now helmed by the fourth generation of the Rinaldi family, sisters Paola and Piera. Like many of Barolo’s brightest stars, their holdings are concentrated in the middle of the appellation: Brunate, Rocche dell’Annunziata and of course, Cannubi, which was the wine they chose to exhibit from the 2021 vintage at this blind tasting (★★★★ 3/4). It emerged elegantly on the nose — a showcase of Nebbiolo’s cherries and truffle tones with a highlight suggestive of orange peel — with a nice embrace of bitter-sour-sweet-savory flavors on the palate. This is one of those wines where the aromas are an invitation to a perfectly mirrored palate expression (“here is my promise, now here I am delivering it”). A pleasant amount of minerality counters the burly, woolen tannins, which will need some time to mellow.
Novello
Anchoring the Barolo DOCG’s southwestern side, Novello is best known for Ravera, one of the best performing vineyards in modern-day vintages.
2021 Mauro Marengo Barolo Ravera
According to their importer, the Marengo family likes to harvest a little earlier than others in pursuit of a fresher style of Barolo, and that’s certainly what I found when this wine (★★★★ 3/4) stood out in the blind tasting. In addition to the fruit-earth-floral trifecta that is typical of Barolo, the nose also reminded me of a summer rainstorm mixed with a tinge of smoke. On the palate, I found the fruit flavors to be quite complex, once again the product of prizing freshness over ripeness by veering towards lighter, but no-less-complex, tones. This Barolo Ravera has exceptional balance, an amiable demeanor and a lot of promise for the road ahead. This is a producer I am keen to keep an eye on.
2021 Franco Conterno Barolo Panerole
This Barolo Panerole (★★★★ 3/4) from Franco Conterno is one of only two single-vineyard wines from this little-known cru on the road between Barolo and Monforte. It has a nice earthiness through the foreground of the nose and plenty of subtlety, mystery and intrigue, even at this early stage. Light and Burgundian in its structure, the wine seems to carry everything on a thread of citrus-like acidity while earthiness and bright cherry fruit have a wonderful interplay. Profuse but well-integrated, well-mannered tannins.
Castiglione Falletto
Residing on the tip of a langhe (one of the most tongue-like of the Langhe Hills), Castiglione Falletto lays claim to a quartet of superior vineyards: Monprivato, Bricco Boschis, Villero and the exceedingly steep Rocche di Castiglione.
2021 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis – Top Wine
When the blind bottles were revealed at the end of each day, there were a lot of surprises to me: producers I’d never heard of, iconic estates whose wines seemed overly aggressive in the context of a blind tasting. But one thing that didn’t surprise me was that the top wine of Day Three came from Cavallotto. Every bit of praise you’ve read for this estate? It is deserved. Alfio Cavallotto is a hell of a winemaker. Part of what makes his work so unique is the way the various elements of the wine harmonize. Everything always feels deliberate, without feeling mechanical or rote. It is as though these wines are divined into shape in the vineyard, and Cavallotto guards that magic so it is not lost in the winemaking process.
Bricco Boschis (★★★★★) is one of Cavallotto’s iconic cru sites — a beautiful mound of vines basking in the sun astride the hilltop village of Castiglione Falletto. The direction of the fruit is immediately evident on the nose, as is a sense of minerality which lends the aromas endurance. Cherry, citrus and botanical tones are supported by a beautiful earthiness that even at this early stage in the 2021’s life feels open and fresh. Dense but small, pert tannins swath across every inch of this wine, providing the perfect amount of structure. This wine felt like one for the ages.
2021 Monchiero Barolo Montanello
Monchiero is an under-the-radar Barolo estate in the U.S., but that should change. I visited with Stefano Monchiero and his family during my stay, and the wines are crisp, focused and quite elegant, while retaining considerable power. The Barolo Montanello (★★★★ 3/4) is a “semi-Riserva” — it doesn’t meet the mandated 62 months of aging for Riserva, but it is released a full year later to allow some settling in bottle. We tasted a vertical of four recent vintages of Montanello (2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018) and I could see not only the vintage character but the evolution over time of this vineyard’s fruit. It is a prime example of Barolo’s unique beauty on the nose — a fusion of cherry, ginseng and rose — with taut acidity and exuberant tannins. I found the 2021 to be more open than the 2020, which was counter to what I saw in comparing these two vintages throughout the week. Seek out the 2021 next year when it is released, but buy the 2020 now.
Monforte d’Alba
Like La Morra, the vastness of Monforte d’Alba can muddle its identity a bit, which — after this blind tasting — seems to be the case with the 2021 vintage. Still, sterling examples transcend commune identity.
2021 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia – Top Wine
It was an honor to spend the better part of a Sunday with Claudio Fenocchio, the fifth generation winemaker of this sterling traditional estate in Monforte d’Alba. Fenocchio is a Bussia specialist, so much so that he produces more bottles of the Barolo Bussia than he does of his classico Barolo. But what I learned from him was a key lesson on how to view Bussia, far and away the largest (and possibly most misunderstood) of Barolo’s cru. Because he has 10 hectares in this MGA, he can create a balanced blend of different plots — almost a Barolo classico of sorts.
This wine is exceptional year in, year out, and I always enjoy getting a taste of it. The 2021 (★★★★★) is guarded and reserved at this nascent stage, but clearly profound. There is a depth to its cherry-like fruit that feels as though it’s holding on to many secrets for the future. “No terziale,” Fenocchio told me of his preferred style of young Barolo: “no tertiary.” He wants the truffle, mushroom, leather and potting soil tones — which are often so evident in Barolo — to come to the fore later in their evolution. Indeed, what is here now is pristine reams of fruit, with a lovely mineral characteristic on the palate, refined tannins and refreshing acidity. Fenocchio wines are packed with layers, and it is honestly thrilling to encounter them this early, see how compact they are, and know how beautiful they will all be when they separate. Few know Bussia as well as Fenocchio.
2021 Parusso Barolo Bussia
Another Monforte d’Alba producer who eagerly pursues the softer tones of Barolo is Marco Parusso. This wine (★★★★ 3/4) was very compelling because it was so dramatically different. “Smells a little French with its aromas,” I wrote in my notes, trying to sort out why this wine seemed so different, and yet so Barolo at the same time. It wasn’t oak usage or Cabernet aspirations (hardly), but rather an embrace of sweeter aromas and softer tannins. I was reminded of cinnamon sticks each time I tested the aromas, which were countered beautifully by an earthy, violet florality that amazed me with its subtlety. The palate then delivers on the promises of the aromas, with energetic but measured tannins that feel like fine-grained cotton.
Partly what makes Parusso’s wines so different is his practice of “resting” the freshly harvested grapes in a ventilated room for a few days. In that time, the stems go brown and he then ferments them whole-cluster. (Read more about his fascinating process in Roberto Camuto’s article linked above). In the 2020 “Perarmando,” the estate’s Barolo classico, this softening was evident as well. Do his wines possess the rigid identity of the region? Not as much as others, but they do feel like a unique and authentic spin on what Barolo can be.
2021 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Bussia
One of the hallmarks of a die-hard Barolo traditionalist is the blending of multiple vineyards to create a single Barolo. Put another way: die-hard traditionalists don’t release single cru wines.
But the times have shifted and things have become more nuanced on the traditional vs. modern front. Look no further than Giuseppe Rinaldi, who along with Bartolo Mascarello, Lorenzo Accomasso, Giacomo Oddero and Flavio Roddolo helped anchor the tent poles of tradition during the 1990s. But like Oddero, a new generation has eventually come around to the idea of MGA wines. Sisters Carlotta and Marta Rinaldi continue to prize what their father aspired for in traditional Barolo: iron-clad structure countered by delicately beautiful aromas. Indeed, with this Barolo Bussia (★★★★★), the Rinaldi sisters offered up the most aromatically beautiful Barolo of the event. “LOVE the nose of this wine the most,” I wrote in my notes, a brilliant evocation of ripe cherries and strawberries, tilled earth, sharp truffle and delicate tobacco leaf. This transitions wonderfully on the palate, too, with a complexity that feels more like an invitation than a taunt. Refined, cotton-like tannins offered a gentle energy but were sufficiently dense to support the framework on the wine.
If there is a drawback here, it is the extremely high cost of this wine. Like Bartolo Mascarello’s Barolo below, it is well over $400/bottle. But I will say, it certainly stood out in a blind tasting.
2021 Diego Conterno Barolo Le Coste di Monforte
An insider’s favorite for sometime, Diego Conterno has emerged as a benchmark estate for Monforte d’Alba. Tactics in the vineyard are meticulous and the estate has taken the added step of achieving organic certification, a rarity in Barolo (although, thankfully, becoming more common).
Le Coste di Monforte (★★★★★) is the outer edge of the Barolo DOCG, a southwest- and southeast-facing series of pitches that look toward the Alta Langa. Magnificently complete on the nose — particularly the entwined note of mint-licorice, the hint of spice — this evocative wine beckons the drinker inward. It is lean and fruity at the front of the palate, with citric-like acidity that waltzes across the palate. Perhaps most notable for early drinking: the mild, fine-grained tannins that hold everything together.
2021 Sordo Giovanni Barolo Perno
Perno is a massive vineyard; the third largest MGA in Barolo. Because of its size, generalizations about its terroir can be tricky, but in sommelier circles, I’ve heard it murmured about online because of the single-vineyard Barolo from Elio Sandri, an insider’s favorite. Sordo Giovanni’s version (★★★★★) is as classic as Barolo gets: a fully formed, multi-dimensional wine with beautiful floral and earthy aromatics, a hint of smokiness, and a taut frame of fruit to pull it all together. I was so drawn to this wine during the blind tasting that I took a break from the procession just to let it open up further in the glass for a good 10 minutes. I wanted it to keep speaking to me, and it soon had me thinking about food pairings with it, which — given the circumstances of an incandescent-lit conference room tasting — is quite a leap of context. Assertive, confident and proudly holding on to its evocative “dark forest” personality, this wine is already a stunner.
2021 Cascina Sòt Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba
One of the most enigmatic wines of Day Three came from Cascina Sòt, an under-the-radar family winery in Monforte d’Alba that was established in 1975. The family behind the winery were formerly sharecroppers on the land, and that purchase had impeccable timing, as Barolo was poised for international stardom. Yet the limelight has largely missed this estate, and I want to get to know it better from this singular wine (★★★★ 3/4).
Guarded and subtly beautiful on the nose, the Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba took a bit of aeration to tease out the heavenly combination of cherry, rose petal and juniper berries on the nose. “What a canvas these wines paint on the nose,” I wrote in my notes (this wine was in the same flight of five as Diego Conterno and Sordo Giovanni). Despite its determination to hold on to its secrets at this stage, this Barolo has substantial elegance, very pure fruit and leanly etched acidity offering the perfect amount of momentum on the palate.
Serralunga d’Alba
At the opposite end of the flavor spectrum from Verduno, Serralunga d’Alba always conjures a darker mood on the nose and palate, with the vineyards of Vignarionda and Lazzarito being the most famous communicators of its terroir.
2021 Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda – Top Wine
Luigi Pira’s wines have always struck me as fearless: Here I am. I am what I am, they seem to say. The Barolo Vignarionda (★★★★★) is the family’s magnum opus. Over the whole week, no other wine showed me the haunting beauty, impressive power and multidimensionality of Serralunga d’Alba quite like this wine, and it’s not surprising that it came from Vignarionda. The fruit on the nose and on the palate is so profoundly dark and brooding, you can only imagine what it’ll be in the years ahead. There was also a ferocious sense of earthiness through the middle that was complemented by supple yet wooly tannins and amazing persistence.
2021 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Cerretta
Cerretta was one of the more interesting MGAs on this trip, as time and time again, it seemed to show up with Serralunga d’Alba’s deep, dark fruit and wooly tannins, but also a bouquet of flowers. Time and time again that sense of florality appeared when I tasted a Cerretta, and Giovanni Rosso’s version (★★★★ 3/4) was where it was most amplified. This is a fastidious and well-mannered Barolo — like it wants to let you in, but isn’t yet ready to let loose. However, I never doubted its muscles, which mostly show up on the back palate with quick-paced acidity and brawny, fine-grained tannins. Then, a lovely bookend: a return of that florality on the finish. I certainly want to see what this wine is like five to 10 years from now … maybe it’ll be ready to party.
2021 Ettore Germano Barolo Cerretta
Cerretta showed up brilliantly in Ettore Germano’s Barolo (★★★★ 3/4) as well, bringing a basket of foraged mushrooms along with that heightened florality of the vineyard that I just mentioned. This wine feels very old school: as savory and earthy as it is fruity and floral, and it’s take-no-prisoner’s attitude on the nose translates nicely on the palate with precise acidity and robust, coarse-cotton tannins. Perhaps it’s not surprising to learn later that the vines in this plot are very old: more than half a century, which is very advanced by Langhe standards.
On a side note, this producer also makes an exceptional traditional method Alta Langa sparkling wine if you are seeking some piemontesi bubbles.
Grinzane Cavour
Along with Roddi and Cherasco, Grinzane Cavour hardly gets any notice due to its small size and small holdings within the Barolo DOCG.
2021 Bricco Carlina Barolo Castello
I was personally delighted to get a chance to taste a single-vineyard MGA wine from Grinzane Cavour, and Bricco Carlina was happy to deliver an exquisite taste of this terroir. As you drive into Barolo from Alba, you pass the magnificent castle that crowns this village, but once in Barolo, Grinzane Cavour is behind you, making it feel like an outsider to the zone. However, Castello — whose name should tell you everything you need to know about its position in town — is massively important to Barolo’s history, for it was here that Camillo Benso, the Count of Cavour in the 19th century, sourced grapes to elevate Barolo’s standing (thanks to Alessandro Masnaghetti for pointing this out in his epic tomé, MGA.)
This wine (★★★★ 3/4) has the supple weight and ethereal aromas that one might associate more closely with Barbaresco’s character. Winemakers Camilla and Francesco Scavino do a great job of highlighting the softer fruit and acidity of the zone — plus the florality and earthiness of Nebbiolo — while allowing the structure to naturally hold everything together. The tannins here are coarse-cotton in texture, yet lively in a pleasant way, offering a finish that is resoundingly beautiful and long.
Più Comune
Classic Barolo relies on a blend from around the zone, which can bring even more balance and finesse when utilized properly. Only 10 such wines were exhibited in this blind tasting, and one of the two I have selected is from a direct winery visit on my own: Bartolo Mascarello.
2021 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
Among Italy’s most collected, most sought-after wines, the classico Barolo (★★★★★) from Bartolo Mascarello is exactly that: classic. Drinking it is like watching a prima ballerina: every step is precise and exactly where it needs to be, yet there is no sense of calculation, only feeling. This is, and will remain, the estate’s only Barolo. It draws its powers in subtle ways thanks to the co-fermentation of plots: a backbone of Rocche di Annunziata in La Morra, as well as dashes of San Lorenzo and Rué, with a flourish from Barolo’s most famous vineyard, Cannubi. Aging occurs in untoasted Slavonian oak casks, and it all comes together with impressive balance and poise.
All three times I’ve tasted this wine, it seems to hover on the mid-palate where it offers up its spectrum of Nebbiolo flavors and sensations. This character trait seems to defy vintage, but I will say that tasting the 2021 alongside the 2020 showed some subtle differences. The 2021 seems to have better integrated fruit, and less noticeable alcohol, even in its youth.
2021 Reverdito Barolo
Reverdito is a La Morra-based family winery led by sister and brother tandem Sabina and Michele Reverdito. Their expansive holdings — 26 hectares in Barolo alone — give them a lot of “ingredients in the pantry” to compose this even-mannered, classic Barolo (★★★★ 3/4). On the nose, its reserved demeanor still offers a wild thread of bitterness that smelled like espresso to me, interwoven with bright cherries, orange peel and rose. The fruit feels very fresh and lively, the tannins are wooly with significant grip, the finish long and persistent. Of the wines listed in this report, it was one of the most in need of aging — five to 10 years at least — but in its infancy I could see amazing potential given its balance.
Captions (all photos ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle)
Featured image: Cannubi San Lorenzo in black and white; the view from Bricco delle Viole down on Barolo; Stefano Monchiero of the Castiglione Falletto estate Monchiero; 2021 Diego Morra Barolo del Comune di Verduno; winemaker Claudio Fenocchio of Giacomo Fenocchio in the Bussia MGA; 2021 Barolo wines from Luigi Pira; 2021 Diego Conterno Barolo Le Coste di Monforte; botti barrels at Monchiero; 2021 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis; a view of Monviso from high up in La Morra; Alba’s duomo at night; entering Monforte d’Alba, leaving Barolo.
Note: My travel expenses were largely covered for this trip, as I was a guest of the ALBEISA consorzio for the first several days. I did, however, pay for my own accommodations and coordinated transport to the wineries selected by me for the remaining days. A thank you to all the producers of the area for sharing their wines and vision with me, and a special thank you to Anna Savino of Barolo Wine Club for driving me and helping to arrange some of the visits. Learn more about our editorial policies.
