Piedmont Wines

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Perhaps the most robust and solid of the three wines by Roberto Voerzio tasted this year, the 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is built like a little tank, or motor, that keeps moving forward no matter what. You taste that spirit and determination thanks to the elegantly aligned fruit and spice flavors that make up the wine’s elaborate profile. However, I also taste the 2015 vintage characteristics of rich and concentrated fruit to a greater degree in the Rocche dell’Annunziata. There is a point of softness here that you don’t get in Fossati or Cerequio. I tasted the open bottle again 24 hours later and was treated to beautiful notes of mint and balsam herb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSimilar notes of mulled black cherries, menthol, toasted spices, tobacco, and licorice emerge from the 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata. It has the ripe, sexy style of the vintage, medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless texture, and a great finish. There are plenty of tannins here, yet they’re sweet and polished, and this beauty already offers pleasure. Nevertheless, it’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should have three decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is laced with the essence of crushed raspberry, flowers, cedar, spice and tobacco. Silky and lifted in the glass, with a real sense of translucent beauty, the 2015 hits all the right notes. It’s a super classic Barolo from one of La Morra’s greatest sites.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Absolutely compelling, this arresting wine opens with classic Nebbiolo aromas of rose petal, camphor, star anise and wild berries. Structured but also smooth as silk, the firm yet elegant palate features ripe Marasca cherry, blood orange, licorice and white pepper framed in tightly woven, ultrarefined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well-balanced while a saline note lingers on the long finish. Drink 2027–2042.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe charm of Vignarionda is its ability to express the austere character of Serralunga alongside stunning finesse. Giovanni Rossi, with his Ester Canale selection, is one of the vineyard’s best examples. Very pale ruby in colour (no garnet here!), it has restrained notes of rhubarb flavoured boiled sweets and earthy strawberry, with whiffs of cypress and rose petal . Firm, concentrated but polished, bracing acidity is followed by savoury strawberry and citrus flavours, with an amazing depth of watermelon rind, rhubarb root and liquorice. A sleek wine built to last. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThe core of cherry flavor runs deep in this intense red, along with notes of eucalyptus, licorice, iron and a hint of flowers. Retreats into a compact stance, with resonant tannins, yet there is an overall finesse and gracefulness that cannot be denied. Best from 2025 through 2047. 250 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2017 Barolo Vigna Rionda comes across as a bit monolithic and closed, as if the aromas and flavors are not fully developed. Firm, edgy tannins suggest these vines may have suffered under the stressful conditions of the warm, dry growing season.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The 2019 Barolo Sperss is rich with dark mineral earth, black cherry, and Earl Grey tea. Long and mouthwatering, it has a powerful structure while retaining finesse. It is fantastically balanced, with gripping tannins, fresh acidity, and notes of forested earth and ripe red berries. A wine for the long haul, this is another great and noble wine to drink over the coming three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2019 Sperss is drop-dead gorgeous. Expressing the captivating combination of firm structure and understated finesse that defines the best Barolos from Serralunga, it opens with aromas of underbrush, forest berry, sun-warmed hay and botanical herb. Linear and focused, the vibrant, savory palate delivers red cherry, blood orange and licorice punctuated with saline mineral notes. It has incredible energy and will age beautifully. Drink 2029–2049. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOVery well integrated tannins that spread across the palate and give tension and form to the wine. Medium to full body. Chewy and juicy. Needs time to soften. Better after 2028.James Suckling | 96 JS